The Forbidden
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Sam was never the Winchester's son. Gabriel just let them borrow him for a little while. Now with Lucifer trying to get control of Sam and every angel in existence trying to get a hold on the brothers, Gabriel plans to take back what is his
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters.**

 **The Forbidden**

 _1983_

Gabriel sat with a newborn baby in his arms. His son. Never did he consider that he'd father a child. He of course knew it was possible, albeit forbidden, for an angel to create a child with a human, but he never considered that maybe contraceptives might not be too useful with an angel, which he'd admit was kind of idiotic of him.

Gabriel literally found out about his son the second he came into the world. Apparently if an archangel has a child, he's alerted immediately because his heart called to the boy the second he drew breath. Gabriel of course didn't know what his heart was calling to until he appeared before the boy and his mother, a woman he remembered sleeping with. That along with feeling the boy's grace, which he really had to look for because it wasn't as potent as a normal angel's, told him that the child was his and he was what was calling to Gabriel.

Gabriel had immediately altered the woman's memories, as well as any doctors and nurses who'd seen his child, before taking him. There was no way Melanie, the woman he'd given him his son, could be trusted with his kid. First, he remembered her well and she wasn't the mothering type. Two, she was human with no idea of the supernatural. Their son was not human. He could end up showing that one day and God only knew what Melanie would do if he did.

So now Gabriel had a problem. He had to figure out what to do with his son. He couldn't keep him. He wanted to. He loved his child. He loved him more than anything, even his father and brothers. He knew giving him up would break him, but the boy wouldn't be safe with him. He was in what he called witness protection, and while he'd lived lifetimes without his brothers finding him, he couldn't be sure they wouldn't one day. If they did, they'd find his son and would likely find out what he was. Then they would kill him. He knew his brothers well. Michael would hear the word nephilim and kill him before anyone could utter the word 'abomination'. Gabriel would do what he needed to to ensure that never happened.

Gabriel racked his brain to come up with a solution. He couldn't keep the kid and he couldn't leave him with a run of the mill human. That left him with a demon, which really wasn't a choice, a witch, just as horrifying and out of the question, or a hunter. But if Gabriel left him with a hunter, it would have to be someone who wouldn't kill him just for being less than human. There weren't many like that. But he could think of one that might at least be willing to listen.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Mary Winchester was in her kitchen picking up from dinner. Her son, Dean, was asleep, and her husband was working late, so she was pretty much alone. She'd just put a plate in the oven for John and turned around to do the dishes when a man appeared out of nowhere. She screamed out in surprise, but her hunter instincts soon kicked in and she bragged a knife.

The man seized her wrist as quickly as she raised it. "That won't work on me."

Mary knew that was true. The knife was just a regular kitchen knife. It wouldn't work on a demon or anything else the thing in front of her might be, but it was all she had handy right now. She didn't even have holy water nearby, as she'd gotten out of that life years ago. "What do you want?" she asked as she struggled out of his grip. It was like iron though. It made her attempts to escape seem pitiful.

"I'll let go if you agree to listen. You can't hurt me, but trying might hurt him," he said as he glanced down at his other hand.

Mary followed his eyes. She hadn't noticed before, but his other hand held an infant carrier, and a few cries let her know that it was not empty. "Fine."

He let go. "I'm not a demon."

"What are you then?" Marry asked.

"My name's Gabriel. I'm an angel," Gabriel told her, saying it out loud for the first time since he left Heaven.

Mary gaped at him in shock. She'd seen and heard of many creatures as a hunter, but she'd never encountered an angel, and truthfully, once she got over the shock of even hearing it, she wasn't convinced this guy was one. If you expect me to believe that, you better have some proof."

Gabriel put the baby carrier on the kitchen table. He then showed her the shadow of his wings. "This is as much proof as I can give you, unless you want to at the very least go blind. That would certainly defeat my purpose for coming to you.

Mary only stared at him for a good five minutes, not sure of what to say. She was standing in front of a freaking angel. It wasn't that she was totally against the idea that they existed, although after everything she'd seen, it was kind of questionable, but she was actually standing in front of one. "I...I… W...why are you here?"

Gabriel glanced over at his son. "I'm here for him.

Mary looked over just as the baby began to fuss. "May I?"

Gabriel nodded.

Mary went over and pulled back the hood of the carrier so .she could get a look at the baby. She smiled. She loved babies. She and John had been trying for a few months to have another child, but so far they had no luck. "Hi, sweetie. What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one yet. He isn't completely human. He's half angel," Gabriel told her.

Mary's head shot over to him and surprise. "That's possible?"

"Yes, though it's not supposed to happen. It's forbidden."

"He's yours, isn't he?" Marry said. She could tell by the way he currently looked at the child. She could tell he loved him.

"Yes. No one can find that out. My brothers would execute him if they found out," Gabriel said.

Mary gasped. "Angels would kill a child."

"Angels can be assholes. We're not like how you see on TV or hear about in church. Most only really care about themselves, each other, and our father. You're nothing to them and my son is something they know nothing about, so they outlawed him. They would kill him out of fear what what he'd become. So, yeah, Angels are real, but I wouldn't go praying because your pleas would just be something for most of them to laugh at," Gabriel said. He loved his brothers, but most of them were dicks. Some of the younger ones might care, but most, like Michael, saw humans as insignificant.

Mary took in the shocking and horrifying information. "So what do you want from me? Protection? How can I protect him if his angel father can't?"

"No one but you knows he exists. I can't take care of him. If they find me, they'll find him. I can't leave him with normal humans because they won't be prepared should he exhibit any abilities," Gabriel said.

"You want me to," Mary realized.

"You know what he is. You're prepared for what he'll become and unlike other hunters, you won't hurt him because of it," Gabriel said.

"Of course not," Mary said. Yes, she was a hunter, but she was not going to kill an innocent baby because he wasn't fully human. This child hadn't done anything wrong. He had as much right to live as anyone else.

"I need someone who won't abandon him if he shows abilities or turn him in to be some experiment. You have a child of your own, so you'll know how to care for him. Please," Gabriel asked. He didn't usually speak like this with anyone and he never begged, but this was his child and he needed Mary Winchester to keep him safe.

Mary looked back at the baby, who'd since fallen asleep. She was unsure. She had no trouble agreeing to adopt someone else's baby, but she worried she wouldn't know what to do when his powers manifested. What if she screwed up with him. He was a special child. What the hell was she gonna tell him? "If I agreed to this, what would I tell my husband?"

"You wouldn't have to tell him anything. I'd alter his memories and your son's. He'd believe the baby was his. Johnny would be as in the dark as he is about everything else," Gabriel said with a smile.

Mary still had doubts about whether or not she could take care of this baby without screwing up, but looking at him now, she was already falling for him. "Okay."

Gabriel picked the baby up into his arms. "Give me a minute."

Mary nodded and left the room to check on Dean.

Gabriel held baby close. This was going to break him worse than Michael and Lucifer's fighting or his father leaving ever had. "I'm sorry. I feel no better than my own father when he bailed, but this is for the best. I'll look out for you. I won't let anything happen to you. You'll probably be better without me anyway. You'll definitely have better morals.

Mary came back a few moments later.

"Do you know what you'll call him?" Gabriel asked.

"I was planning to name any second son I had Sam, after my father. If you want something else though, I'd be glad to call him that," Mary said.

Gabriel nodded. Sam. Sammy. That fit the boy. He was more than happy with it. "It's fine. Bye, Sammy," he said before turning to Mary and handing him over. A second later, he was gone, not knowing what his choice would eventually lead to.


	2. Chapter 2

_twenty-six years later_

Gabriel appeared in the motel room where his son and Dean Winchester were staying in. t Despite the fact that both boys were warded so angels couldn't find them, he did. It wasn't that the marks didn't work on him. It was just that nothing could apparently stop him from finding Sam. He had a very strong bond with his son, despite the fact that the kid didn't know they were related. He could find him anywhere.

Gabriel eyed both boys, who were asleep on their respective beds. He eyed Sam sadly. He had failed his son. He'd tried very hard to look out for Sam throughout his life, but he wasn't there twenty-four/seven and he missed things, like the demon, Azazel, attacking in Sam's nursery. He hadn't been there to protect the baby from being tainted with demon blood. In fact, he didn't even learn about it until Sam did. He'd just assumed the demon had attacked Mary because she was a former hunter and he just happened to catch her in the nursery. He'd later learned that it had something to do with his son, but he never imagined what that could be.

Sam getting killed in Azazel's game was another way Gabriel had failed Sam absolutely. It hurt so bad when he found out that he couldn't understand how he could still be alive. By the time he'd been able to think coherently enough to remember he was an archangel and could bring back the dead, Dean had made his deal and brought Sam back. While Sam probably wouldn't agree, Gabriel believed it worked out better anyway. If he'd used his powers to bring Sam back, Michael might have been alerted and figured out the truth. Then he just would've killed Sam again.

Those two instances weren't how Gabriel screwed up with his son. He messed up the second he handed the boy over to the Winchesters. They were good enough people, though he very much wanted a shot at John Winchester for placing Sam in danger, exposing him to everything out there that a child should never know is real, and treating him like a soldier his entire childhood. But the problem was really Dean. He was Michael's vessel. If Gabriel had known that before, he wouldn't have allowed Sam anywhere near him. That was tempting fate.

Honestly, Gabriel wasn't sure how he'd even gotten Sam past Michael. He would've thought his brother would've had the Winchesters watched since their kids were destined to be vessels. Although, Michael could be quite arrogant. Once Dean was born, he might have believed everything else would fall into place, meaning a second child would be born to be Lucifer's. He may not have seen the need to keep watching. So essentially, Gabriel decided he got lucky.

Luck wasn't likely to continue though, which was why Gabriel was now here. Michael had angels all over trying to get to Dean and Lucifer was undoubtedly trying to get Sam. Gabriel couldn't let it happen. He would not let Lucifer even try to get in Sam, though he wasn't sure he even could, and he also wasn't going to take the risk that any of his brothers would find out what Sam was.

Gabriel walked over to Sam and sighed. "You will no doubt hate me for this. Though you probably already do for that time loop thing. But who doesn't hate their father a few times in their lives. I've had my moments too. It's for your own good, Sammy. Everything I do is," he said before touching Sam on the forehead and teleporting with him.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean turned over in his bed in the middle of the night, waking up just briefly. He cracked his eye open and saw his brother's bed empty. Thinking his brother was probably in the bathroom, he was about to roll over and go back to sleep, but an uneasy feeling made him get up and check.

Dean got up and walked to the bathroom. "Sam, you in there?" he asked before opening the door. He found the bathroom empty.

Dean began to get very nervous. He went back into the main room and turned the light on. He searched all over for some kind of note or something. If Sam felt for some weird reason he had to go out in the middle of the night, he'd leave a note. But he couldn't find one anywhere.

Dean grabbed his phone from the table by his bed and dialed Sam's number. It took seconds before he heard Sam's ringtone in the room. He looked over and saw his brother's phone laying on a nearby chair. "Oh, that's just great. That's a good sign," Dean said sarcastically before ending the call and placing another one.

" _Dean. I am confused. Isn't this a time for humans to sleep,"_ A voice asked.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Cas, it is, unless your brother disappears."

" _Sam is missing?"_ Castiel asked.

"Yeah. I woke up and he was gone and his phone was here. Sam wouldn't disappear like this on his own, especially without his phone.

" _Where are you?"_

Dean quickly told him and then hung up, knowing the angel would appear in a second.

And he was right. Castiel appeared in the room a second later. "Could this be about a case?"

Dean shook his head. "We thought there might be a case here, but it was just an exceptionally sick serial killer. We were planning to leave in the morning. Could Lucifer have found him?"

"That is unlikely. You are protected from all angels," Castiel said.

"Nothing can break those sigils?" Dean asked.

"Not that I know of. As I said, they are on your ribs. I do not see how an angel got rid of them. And I could not find you without you telling where you were, so they still work" Castiel said.

"Well, something happened and it happened while I was asleep," Dean said. That really pissed him off. Something grabbed his brother while he was like five feet away. That pissed him off both at whatever it was and himself. He should've woken up.

"Could it be a demon?" Castiel asked.

We always put up protections," Dean said, though he quickly checked the salt lines and found them all intact. "They're good."

"I don't understand. Your protections for demons and other evil are in place and your warded against angels. What could've done this? Are you certain he did not leave by himself?" Castiel asked.

"I'm positive Cas. I know Sam. I don't know what has him, but I'm gonna kill the son of a bitch!" Dean vowed.

"This is a downside the sigils. I would be able to find him in an instant if he didn't have it," Castiel said.

Dean grabbed a pair of pants and put them on. He then slipped his shoes on and grabbed his coat and keys.

"Where are you going, Dean?" Castiel asked.

"To find my brother," Dean said.

"You don't know where he is."

"I don't care," was all Dean said before walking out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam was woken up the next morning by sunlight shining through in his face. He slowly opened his eyes. Once he did, he bolted up. He was not in his motel room anymore and Dean was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was alone and to his surprise, in a traditional looking bedroom. There was a bed, which Sam had to admit was very comfortable, a nightstand, a dresser that was across from the bed, and a closet.

Sam quickly got up. He checked his sweats for his knife, but found it gone. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. No way would whatever took him let him keep it.

Sam sat back down and tried to contemplate his next move. Honestly, he was kind of confused at the moment. He knew something had kidnapped him and probably Dean. That was clear. However, instead of tied to something in a dark place like a warehouse, he was placed in a bedroom in a house. He couldn't think of anything that would do that. But he could figure out what was doing this later. Right now, he had to get out of the room he was in and try to find Dean.

Sam decided to go for the window. The door was most definitely locked. The window probably was too, but it was the better chance. Plus, if he could avoid whatever it was that took him, it was better since he had no weapon.

He got to the window and tried to get it open. Like he expected, it wouldn't budge, but he wasn't giving up. He looked around for something to try to pry it open. He didn't wanna break it because that would create attention.s

Looking around, Sam didn't have much to work with. There wasn't much except the usual furniture. Why wouldn't they have looked him in here with a crowbar or something?

Knowing it was fruitless, but not wanting to give him, Sam tired the window once more. It still wasn't moving. "Damn it!"

"Just curious. Wouldn't the door have been more logical?" a familiar voice asked.

Sam turned around and found the Trickster leaned against the door frame with a grin on his face.

"The door wasn't locked in a way that no one but me could unlock," Gabriel said. Well, that wasn't technically true. Another angel could cancel his lock, but Sam couldn't, at least not now. Should he develop powers, and Gabriel was pretty sure that would eventually happen, who knew what he'd be able to do.

Sam glared at him. There were very few creatures he hated more than this SOB. What he did to Dean alone the last time they met had him wanting him dead. They really should've killed him after that, but Sam hadn't wanted to take the risk that the bastard would kill his brother again. "What do you want? Where's Dean?"

Gabriel shrugged. "The last time I saw him, he was asleep in a particularly sleazy motel. It's not my problem where he went when he woke up. Come with me. Let's chat."

Sam watched as the Trickster left. He followed him only because he wanted to know what the hell the bastard wanted.

Gabriel led the way down through the kitchen and into the dining room. "Have a seat. Breakfast?" he asked before snapping his figures and conjuring an array of breakfast foods.

"What do you want?" Sam asked again.

Gabriel sat down and grabbed a plate with heavily sugared french toast. "Sit."

"I'll pass," Sam said coldly.

"No, you won't," Gabriel said before making a sitting gesture with his hand, causing Sam to be lightly pushed into the chair he was standing right in front of. "Trust me, this is a sitting conversation. You'll thank me when I'm blowing your mind away."

Sam continued to glare. "Tell me what the hell you want. Why'd you bring me here?"

"First, I haven't been honest with you guys. I've been keeping something pretty big a secret," Gabriel said.

"Oh, you haven't been honest. I never would've guessed a trickster would be less than honest," Sam said sarcastically.

"Yeah, that's kind of what I meant. Not a trickster," Gabriel told him before taking a bite of his breakfast.

That surprised Sam. The guy acted just like tricksters do. He played games with people, killing and messing with people in funny and often karmic ways. He played trick after trick, which was the definition of a trickster. "What are you then?"

"My name is Gabriel. I'm an archangel."

Sam couldn't keep the shock from his face. An archangel. They had been out of their freaking league with those stakes. They wouldn't have done a damn thing to him if this was true. It also meant that he was pretty much screwed right now. How the hell was he supposed to get away from an archangel. They were one of the most powerful things in the world.

Suddenly Sam thought about something. Angels shouldn't be able to find him. He and Dean were both protected from them. "You're lying. You wouldn't have been able to find me if you were an angel."

"Oh, you mean because of the sigil on your ribs. I have to give my little brother credit for that one. It was a good idea. I'll explain in a minute how I was able to get through it. First, a little background. As I said, I'm an archangel. I haven't been in heaven for a while though. I took off right after Michael and Lucifer had their little spat.," Gabriel said.

Sam nearly snorted at the way Gabriel described what happened with Michael and Lucifer. "I guess I'll assume you're telling the truth. So you brought me here to hand me over to Lucifer. It's not gonna happen. I will never say yes."

"I don't even know if you can say yes. Well, of course you can say yes. Anyone with vocal skills can say the word 'yes', but I'm just not sure it would do any good. But even if it would, that's not why I brought you here. Michael and Lucifer can both kick rocks," Gabriel said. Honestly, he would probably feel different if this planned fight didn't seem to include Sam, at least in their minds, but Sam was more important to him than Lucifer and Michael would ever be. They wouldn't get to hurt him.

Sam was more than a bit confused about what Gabriel meant when he said that saying yes might not do any good. He was supposed to be Lucifer's vessel. According to the other angels, he was meant to hold Lucifer. Not that he would ever agree to it. "Why do you say it might not work, saying yes?"

"Look, the way it was supposed to be is that the Winchesters were supposed to have two boys destined to be vessels to Michael and Lucifer. I didn't know that. If I had, I would've found something else," Gabriel said. He honestly didn't know if he changed destiny when he gave Sam to the Winchesters. It was supposed to be two brothers, but Sam did see Dean as a brother. It might be that it was always supposed to be his son. It could also be that when he gave his son to Mary Winchester, he changed how things were supposed to be. It seemed more likely to him because Sam was not entirely human and didn't think it was possible for something like him to be inhabited by an angel. Of course, again, Gabriel didn't know and he wasn't willing to test the theory.

"Someone else for what?" Sam asked.

Gabriel winced. He was at the point where he was going to have to tell Sam what he was and what kind of relationship the two of them shared. He was nervous because he knew Sam wouldn't take it well and he also knew the kid's rejection would hurt. "You must have figured this out by now, but I'm not like my brother, Castiel. I'm far from celibate."

"Are you freaking serious?" Sam asked. They were really going to have a conversation about an angel having sex."

"I'm crude, deal with it," Gabriel said. "So anyway, I'm going to assume someone gave you the talk. I hope so because then this gets a lot more awkward."

"Get to the point," Sam said annoyed.

"Well, sex has consequences, as you no doubt know. Angels are no exception to that."

"Are you trying to tell me you knocked someone up?" Sam asked, feeling both ill and a bit curious. He'd never heard of an angel/human child existing.

"Yeah, they're called Nephilims. The problem is, they're not supposed to exist. When my kid was born, I had to find a way to hide him. Angels could never know what he was. I decided on a hunter since they'd know how to deal with something that wasn't completely human. I found a former one who wouldn't condemn him for what he was. She agreed to take him and I altered the memories of her husband and son. Given who I left him with, I should've been caught. I can thank Michael's arrogance for not getting caught," he said.

"Why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with my family or why you brought me here?" Sam said.

Gabriel had to believe it was denial that was keeping Sam from making the connection. "Sam, I left my son with the Winchesters. I left you. You're my son."


	4. Chapter 4

Sam sat in shocked silence for several moments. What he'd just heard was so mind blowing that he couldn't utter a single word. Gabriel had just told him he was his father. The dick that had played with him and his brother twice, the same guy who let him relive Dean's desk over and over again claimed to be his parent. He claimed that Sam was part angel, related to all those assholes trying to end the world. Hell, he was telling him that he was directly related to God himself. That was the biggest revelation anybody could ever make.

Sam wasn't sure how long it took, probably at least five to ten minutes, but eventually, his brain started to work again and he realized that no way in hell could this be true. This was another trick from the trickster. Hell, he was probably even lying about being an archangel. "You're lying."

Gabriel wasn't surprised by the accusation. He expected it. What he'd just said would be incredibly farfetched, even to a hunter. Plus, the first thing someone did when they heard something they didn't want to was to deny it, so either way, he understood Sam not believing him. "I'm not. I have never lied to you."

"Really? When I finally caught up with you after you made me watch my brother die over and over again, you said you'd stop!" Sam said angrily.

"No, I didn't. I told you I'd pull you out of the time loop. I did. You woke up and it was the next day. So, no, I didn't lie to you," Gabriel said.

"You're lying now! I am not your son!" Sam yelled.

Gabriel nodded his head. "Yeah, you are. I know that can't be easy to accept. It's shocking and probably horrifying to learn that you're not completely human, especially for a hunter."

"Stop! If I was part angel, I'd know," Sam said. If this was true, there'd be some sign. He'd have powers. Well, okay, he did have powers at one point, but he knew that was because of the demon blood. He would have angel powers if this was true.

"Yeah, I suspect you probably would. You'd at least know you weren't completely human. I can't pretend to know what powers a nephilim would have, but I believe you would have some. I think the demon blood inhibited it. Demon blood and angel's grace isn't supposed to mix," Gabriel explained.

"I don't have grace," Sam said immediately.

"Yes, you do. It's not as strong as a normal angel's and you wouldn't know it's there unless you're looking for it, but it's there. In fact, it's gotten a tad bit stronger since you killed Lilith, which is kind of adding fuel to my theory. Once the blood was completely out of your system, the angel part of you grew stronger," Gabriel explained.

Sam shook his head. "No. This is just another trick. We both know you have an endless supply!"

"And what would be the point of this particular trick? What exactly do I gain from it?" Gabriel asked, trying to point out the flaw in his son's logic.

"What you always do! A laugh at your victim's expense. And we both know you like playing with me," Sam said with a glare.

"Am I laughing? Do I look like I find anything funny about this. I'm not enjoying this, Sam. I take no pleasure in ripping everything you've ever known to shreds. This is the truth. I am your father," Gabriel said.

"You're a liar," Sam said before bolting up and heading for the back door, which was just a few feet behind Gabriel.

"Sam, come back," Gabriel said calmly without bothering to get up.

"Screw you!" Sam growled as he reached the door. He tried to open it, but it wouldn't move. He turned the lock and tried again, but it still wouldn't open. "Open it!" he yelled at Gabriel.

"No," was all Gabriel said.

Sam huffed and started banging into it with his shoulder. He was getting out of there somehow. He wasn't going listen to anymore of this bastard's lies. They were lies. He was not part angel. He was the son of John and Mary Winchester. He was Dean's brother.

Gabriel got up and reached Sam. He grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him back to his chair. He'd planned to just let Sam have his meltdown because he could understand the kid's need for it, but he would hurt himself trying to get that door open.

Once Gabriel had Sam in his chair, he waved his hand and made it so Sam couldn't get up before returning to his chair.

Sam tried to get up again, but some kind of invisible force kept him from moving. "Let me up!"

"I will let you up when you're calm. I get that you're upset and angry right now, but I'm not gonna let you hurt yourself, so get yourself under control," Gabriel said calmly.

Sam continued to fruitlessly struggle to get up. After a few minutes, it became clear nothing was gonna work, so tried to calm down in order to placate the jackass trickster, or angel, whatever he really was. As he began to calm, he thought about this whole thing. It wasn't true, right? He couldn't really be the son of an angel. That would make his whole life a complete lie. It would make the most constant thing about him a lie. By that he meant being Dean's brother. Dean had always been the one thing in his life he could always count on. How could he live with it if that went away?

Sam shook that thought away. He didn't have to worry about that because it wouldn't go away. This was just a big lie that Gabriel was amusing himself with. Although, in the back of his head, he couldn't help but think that there was no trace of humor on his face or in his voice.

Gabriel waited about ten minutes before speaking again. He'd decided to give Sam some time to calm down before going on. "I gave you to the Winchester's the day you were born. Mary Winchester was the only one who ever knew. I wanted you with me, but it wasn't possible."

Sam did nothing but shake his head.

"I looked out for you over the years, though I missed some things," Gabriel said with guilt in his voice.

"Stop. Just let me go. Let me forget this," Sam said. He was no longer angry. Right now, his voice was pleading. He needed all of this to be a trick or a dream. He needed to pretend it wasn't happening.

Gabriel winced. That look always crushed him. The last time he was on the receiving end of it was when he'd forced Sam to see what it was like to live without Dean. He'd hated doing that, but it was for Sam's benefit. He had been trying to help him learn to go on without Dean. "I can't do that. You're not leaving. There are too many angels out there looking for you. If they find out what you are, they'll kill you."

"They can't find me. Well, I guess they can now, since you did," Sam mumbled.

"The sigil is still working. I found you because you're my son. I can always find you because you are a part of me," Gabriel said.

"Let me up," Sam said.

Gabriel waved his hand to release Sam. The kid was calm now, although, the despondent state he was now in wasn't making Gabriel any happier. "The doors and windows are all locked in a way that only an angel can open. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but it does."

Sam didn't say anything. He just wordlessly got up and walked back to the bedroom he'd been put in last night.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean made it back to the motel several hours later. He walked inside and slammed the door behind him. He still had nothing on what had taken Sam. He'd asked around if anyone had seen him. He knew Sam wouldn't leave on his own without his phone and without telling him, but he decided to be thorough. After he came up empty there, he started looking at anything that could lead to a hunt in town, something that might have figured out who they were and that they were there. Again, it turned up absolutely nothing.

Castiel, who had been sitting in a chair by Sam's bed when Dean came in, stood up. "You have been gone all day."

"Have you been sitting here all day?" Dean asked.

"Of course not. I have been trying to find your brother," Castiel said. Unfortunately, he hadn't been successful. The sigil on Sam's chest was keeping him from locating the younger Winchester.

"Same. You get anything?" Dean asked.

"No."

Dean took off his coat and through it on the bed. "It doesn't make sense. Why would something take Sam and not me. The only thing that wants Sam and not me is Lucifer."

"That is not entirely true. Sam told you hunters attacked him when the two of you briefly went your separate ways a couple of weeks ago. It is possible that another that blames him for the apocalypse found him," Castiel said.

"No, this was not a person. People make noise. I would've woken up," Dean said. He refused to believe he slept through hunters breaking into the room, grabbing Sam, and dragging him out. Sam was bulky and extremely tall. It would take at least two people and it still wouldn't be easy. He and Sam both would've woken up. They were not light sleepers. "Someone came in left with him supernaturally, like an angel or demon. It has to be Lucifer."

"That isn't possible. If Lucifer had gotten past the sigils, Michael would be able to as well. He would've come for you," Castiel reasoned.

Suddenly, Dean's phone started ringing. He took it out and saw that it was Bobby and answered immediately. He'd called Bobby earlier and left a message about Sam. "Bobby, where have you been?"

" _I had to get someone to run me out for some things. Damned legs. What the hell do you mean Sam's missing_ _?"_

"Something took him in the middle of the night while we were sleeping," Dean said.

" _Balls! What were you hunting?" Bobby asked._

"Nothing. We caught a case, but it turned out to be a garden variety murderer. We were supposed to head out today. I looked around to see if there was any sign that there was something here after all, but I came up empty," Dean said.

" _It must have come and left quickly not to wake you. You thinking demon or angel?" Bobby said._

"It's not a demon. The salt lines were intact. I think it was Lucifer, but Cas disagrees," Dean said.

" _Alright, get your ass up here. We'll figure this out together,"_ Bobby said.

"Bobby, they could still be here," Dean said.

" _Don't be an idjit. Whether it's Lucifer or not, it's not hanging around. If it was a hostage thing, it would've made contact. Get up here and we'll figure it out."_

Dean heard the line go dead. Apparently Bobby wasn't going to hear anymore on the matter.

"You are going to Bobby's" Castiel stated.

"I guess so. You'll keep looking for Sam, right?" Dean asked.

"Of course, but I don't know that I will be any help," Castiel said.

"Can you find Lucifer?" Dean asked. If he could find him, that would be a way to find out one way or another if he had Sam.

"No. If he was close by, I might be able to sense him if he allowed me to, and that is unlikely," Castiel said.

"Angels can hide themselves?" Dean asked.

"If we couldn't, do you really think I'd be alive right now? There are many angels, particularly Michael and Raphael that would probably either kill me or imprison me if they had the chance," Castiel said.

"Zachariah, didn't do anything when you saved Sam and me after you were brought back," Dean pointed out.

"That's because he was frightened at the prospect of God bringing me back. As I was saying, yes, most angels can shield themselves, though not when another angel is in the vicinity. I would be able to sense his grace if it was say Zachariah. Archangels, however, are different. They are capable of shielding themselves one hundred percent. If they didn't want me to, I wouldn't know if one was standing in front of me," Castiel explained.

"There's nothing we can do to find him?" Dean asked.

Castiel shook his head. "Even if you did find him and he had Sam, something I doubt, it wouldn't do any good. I've already told you killing Lucifer is impossible. That's because an archangel's powers are almost absolute. They can only be killed by one of the other three archangels. Well, and our father."

"You mean two," Dean corrected.

"No, I do not misspeak," Castiel said.

"I thought there were only three archangels. Lucifer, Michael, and that Raphael dick," Dean said.

"No, there is technically a fourth, but Gabriel hasn't been seen seen since just after Michael cast Lucifer down," Castiel said.

"And why did the fourth dick take off?" Dean wondered.

"These are my brothers, Dean," Castiel reminded him. Despite the fact that he disagreed with how they handled things, he still loved his brothers and didn't wish to hear terrible things about them.

"Well, they're dicks, Cas. So what happened to Gabriel?" Dean asked again.

"It's said that he left because of the fight between Michael and Lucifer. He is said to have wanted no part in the fight between our brothers and when Lucifer was cast out, he was angry both at him and Michael and decided to leave. This is pointless information though. Gabriel has not been around in several thousand years. He is irrelevant to what is going on now.

"Yeah, whatever. Look, I don't care how powerful you say the devil is. We will stop him. We gotta find Sam first though. I'm headed to Bobby's. Come there if you find anything," Dean said before grabbing his bag and started packing everything up.

"I still do not believe that Lucifer has Sam. Of course, I have no other idea of what might," Castiel said.

"I will find my brother and make this son of a bitch pay for grabbing him," Dean said firmly.

"I will come to you when I know something," Castiel said before disappearing.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam sat on the bed in the room he'd been given. He'd been there all day, not wanting to be anywhere near Gabriel or what he was claiming. Though, admittedly, even without Gabriel in his face, he couldn't stop thinking about it. The archangel slash tricksters words were in his head constantly, as was the look on his face when he said it. There was no humor and no trace of a trick. In fact, he looked kind of sorry.

It was of course easy for Sam to refute it in his head. Gabriel, archangel or not, had been an excellent trickster. He'd probably played billions of games with people over the years. He would know how to keep a straight face. It wasn't simple denial. There were several logical reasons for Sam to believe it was a lie, and he'd convinced himself several times since he'd spoken with Gabriel that it was. But there were the times that he let his mind consider the possibility that Gabriel wasn't lying. and those moments shot a pain though his body.

Sam didn't want this to be true. He put aside the angel thing and even the Trickster who made him live through his brother's dead time after time, because those thing he actually could live with. It would freak him out and he would in no way want it, but compared to the real problem, he could live with it. The real problem was that he'd lose Dean. He'd lose his brother because Dean would've never been his brother in the first place. That was the deal breaker.

Sam tried to picture Dean's reaction, if it was true, and he still didn't want to believe that it was. He wondered if Dean could ever get past it. He had made so many bad choices, like Ruby and the demon blood, but Dean forgave him because he was his brother. Would that still be the case if they really weren't brothers? Would he turn his back on him if there was no blood linking them. It was the one thing Sam feared the most. Losing Dean, losing the one thing that always kept him going.

Sam soon heard a knock at the door. He turned to it and glared, as he knew there was only one person it could be. "Go away!"

The door opened revealing Gabriel. "Sorry, not gonna happen."

"What do you want?" Sam asked irritably.

"Come into the kitchen and eat," Gabriel said.

"Go to hell," Sam retorted.

"Wrong angel. Come on, you haven't eaten all day," Gabriel said.

"Let me leave and I'll eat," Sam said snidely. He had no delusions that it would work, but if Gabriel was going to keep him prisoner and try to destroy everything he had, he wasn't going to make things easy on him.

"Doesn't work that way," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers.

The next thing Sam knew, he was sitting at the kitchen table across from Gabriel. "You're a dick."

"You wouldn't be the first one to say that," Gabriel said before piling food from the table onto his plate. As an angel, he didn't need to eat, but food tasted good, so he did about as often as a human, though he preferred deserts. "Help yourself, Sammy."

"Screw you. And don't ever call me that again," Sam said before piling roast beef, potatoes, and vegetables onto his plate. No way did this bastard get to use his childhood nickname. No one but family ever got to call him that, and no matter what he said, Gabriel was not family.

"I'm the one who gave you the name, so I should be able to call you that as much as I want," Gabriel said as took a bite of potatoes.

"That's not true. I was named after my grandfather," Sam said.

"Yes, Mary named you after her father, but I'm the first one to call you 'Sammy'. I called you that right before I put you in her arms. She kept the nickname to honor me as your father," Gabriel said.

Sam turned away from Gabriel and to his food, not wanting to even comment on Gabriel's words because it would only added to his doubts.

"Would you start eating? I know you like it," Gabriel said.

"How would you know that?" Sam asked.

"I told you, I've looked out for you. I spent a lot of time watching you," Gabriel said.

"Yeah? So where were you when demon blood was being poured into my mouth as an infant?" Sam asked. He regretted asking it immediately. He should not be entertaining the idea that any of this was true.

Gabriel almost flinched at the mention of one the instances where he failed to protect his son. "I…I couldn't be there all the time."

Sam could hear the regret in Gabriel's voice and it shook him. This was another one of those moments when he had to wonder if it was all true. "I don't believe any of this is true."

"You will. I told you before that your grace has gotten stronger. Something will happen that you can't ignore You're a part of me and that part will eventually show itself," Gabriel said. That was another reason it was important to get Sam away from angel eyes. He was going to exhibit powers soon. Gabriel didn't want him around any other angel, even Castiel, when that happened. HIs youngest brother had proven that he had a mind of his own, but that didn't mean Gabriel trusted him with Sam. Castiel knew just as all the others that nephilims were forbidden. There was no way to know how he'd react to finding out one existed.

Sam started eating and ignored Gabriel. He didn't want to hear anymore about this. He wanted it to go away. Hell, he wanted this whole day to go away. He wanted to wake up to his brother and find out it was all a dream.

Gabriel seemed to guess what his son was thinking. "It's not gonna go away, Sam. You're going to have to accept that I've told you the truth."

Sam didn't say anything. He just quickly finished eating and then looked up at Gabriel. "Are you satisfied? Can I go now?"

"Yeah, you can go, but ignoring me isn't going to make this go away. You're not even going to be able to ignore me for long, since the two of us are living in the same house," Gabriel said.

"Easy fix. Let me go!" Sam said angrily.

"How many ways do you need me to say no? I will not let you leave here and go where every angel is looking for you, including two archangels," Gabriel said firmly.

"I can take care of myself! And stop pretending you give a damn about me. You proved that's crap when you put me in a time loop where my brother died countless times," Sam said before getting up and walking away.

"Get your ass back here!" Gabriel ordered in a steely voice that he hadn't used since he was in Heaven.

Sam was taken aback by the coldness in Gabriel's voice. He'd never heard him speak that way before. It was the kind of tone that demanded obedience. Still, Sam thought about ignoring him, both because he didn't like him and because he had never been all that obedient. The only thing that made him walk back over and sit down was knowing that if he didn't, Gabriel would just bring him back with a snap of his fingers.

Gabriel waited until Sam was seated again before speaking. "You are going to see why I did that if it is the last thing I do. Dean was going to die! He made a deal with a demon. It was done! You needed to see that. You needed to let him go!"

"I was trying to save him!" Sam exclaimed.

"You couldn't! That is what I was trying to make you understand! You were obsessed with saving him and it wasn't going to work! It would've just caused you worse pain when you finally realized you couldn't save him. And that's what happened, isn't it?" Gabriel asked.

"And watching him die over and over again wasn't painful?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it was, but you needed to be prepared because that's what the future held, his death. I wanted to help you accept it and learn to go on without him. You do not need Dean to survive, Sam," Gabriel said. He wasn't trying to minimize what Dean Winchester meant to his son. He did understand that Dean had done a lot for Sam. Dean had been more of a father to Sam than him or John. He ultimately saved his life by making that deal . Gabriel wasn't a huge fan him, but he did understand that he owed Dean. But all that didn't change the fact that Sam needed to know how to exist without Dean in the world.

"I don't want to," Sam said with pain laced in his voice. His biggest fear was losing Dean and that was now a possibility again.

Gabriel sighed. "Well, that's another matter entirely. Sometimes you have to live without the people you love, Sam. That's another thing I tried to tell you the last time we met, but you wouldn't hear it. Believe me, this is something I know well. The hardest thing I ever did was let you go."

Sam got up and started to leave again. This time, Gabriel didn't stop him


	7. Chapter 7

Dean was sitting at Bobby's kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He'd arrived in the middle of the night. Bobby had of course insisted that he try to sleep. Dean did try, but it didn't really work out. All he could think about was his brother.

Dean wouldn't say it out loud, but he was getting scared. Of course, he'd been worried before, but now he was starting to become real fear. It had been over a day since Sam disappeared and there was no answers. Sure, it wasn't the first time either he or Sammy went missing due to a creature they were hunting, but they always figured out what was responsible and saved the other. This time was much different. Dean had no idea how to find Sam. He couldn't even say for sure what took him.

Soon, Bobby rolled his chair into the room. "You didn't get a lick of sleep, did you?"

Dean shook his head. "On the up side, coffee's ready."

Bobby just grunted in response and headed for the coffee maker.

"You want some help?" Dean asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

"You move out of that chair, boy, and I'll make sure you have to trade it in for one like mine," Bobby grumbled.

Dean smiled slightly and took a sip of his own coffee.

"I didn't get much sleep either. No word on the angel?" Bobby asked.

"No. I don't think he's gonna check in until he knows something, which probably won't happen because of the angel sigil. He never should've put those on us. Cas would be able to find him in a second if he hadn't," Dean said.

"So would every other angel, you idjit. You wouldn't have this problem, but you'd have a whole lot of others," Bobby said.

"They didn't work anyway if the devil is what got Sam," Dean said. That was his worst fear right now, that Lucifer had Sam and was torturing him until he broke. And if he had him, Dean had no doubt that was what he was doing. The 'good' angels were okay with torture, so why wouldn't the devil go for it?

"I don't think it's him," Bobby said before pushing his chair over to the table.

"Neither does Cas, but it's the best theory. Angels have found ways around the sigils before. Lucifer could as well," Dean said.

"That's not why I don't think it's him. Whoever did this went in quietly. They were careful not to wake you or Sam. They were in or out without you noticing," Bobby said.

"Thanks for the reminder that I failed my brother, Bobby," Dean said sarcastically.

"You didn't fail him! Don't you say that again, boy. Now as I was about to say, I doubt the devil would care too much about whether or not you woke up to find him going for Sam. He sounds like he'd enjoy a fight with you before nabbing Sam. He might even like Sam fighting back too," Bobby reasoned.

Dean thought about it. Bobby had a point there. Lucifer probably wouldn't kill him because then he could never fight Michael, but he probably wouldn't mind hurting him. "That makes sense. He wouldn't care if I caught him. He's too arrogant to think I'd ever beat him. Whoever did this waited on purpose for me to be asleep. They didn't want to fight me, probably afraid of losing. Coward."

"Well, that or it just didn't wanna be bothered with you. We can't afford to underestimate this thing, so don't go getting arrogant yourself and believing you can't lose," Bobby warned.

"Either way, it didn't want me. It only wanted Sam. But other than Lucifer, I can't think of anything that would just go after him," Dean said.

"Well, that's the part we gotta figure out, along with what it is. Whatever it is, it probably got in and out without using doors. It pretty much popped in and out with Sam. The only things I can think of that can do that are demons and angels and we've pretty much ruled them out. Aside from powerful witches and it's unlikely they'd take Sam. If you pissed one of them off, they'd just use hex bags or attack you head on," Bobby said.

"Yeah, there's not much I can think of with this kind of power. The only other thing I can think of with that power is a trickster. The douchebag trickster that killed me over and over and made Sam go through it all could do practically anything with a snap of the fingers.," Dean said. Of course, no part of Dean believed it was a trickster that took Sam. Tricksters played games. They didn't kidnap dudes in the middle of the night without any fuss. They stood out, made their presence known.

"It ain't a trickster. A trickster would've pulled off some kind of joke, or Trick, for lack of a better term, even if it did want Sam," Bobby said.

"Yeah, I know. I almost wish it was that son of a bitch trickster though. Not only would I know what took my brother, but I could finally end that dick," Dean said. He'd been really pissed and unnerved by the trickster's last appearance. It wasn't his hundred or so deaths. He didn't even remember that, so he didn't really care about it. It was the game the trickster had played with Sam and why. Sam had told him all about what the trickster's motives had seemed to be. That it was somehow about making Sam stop trying to save him. it was unnerving. He wondered why the trickster would care how Sam handled his death. And of course it pissed him off that his brother had to go through that, especially when he'd known Sam would have go through it all over again when the demon deal was up.

"So maybe it's something knew, something we don't know about. We need to do research," Bobby said.

"Yeah, okay. Bobby, we have to find him," Dean said with a great degree of fear in his voice.

"We will, Dean," Bobby assured him.

"Things haven't been right between us since the apocalypse started. No, actually, they were bad even before that. I haven't trusted Sam since Ruby and the demon blood and I made sure he knew it. What If I can't make that right?" Dean asked in a shaky voice. He didn't like showing emotions or as he would put it, 'having chick flick moments', but he couldn't hide his fear. He wanted his brother back.

"Stop it. You're not gonna talk like he's dead. We will find Sam and you'll kill the SOB who thought he could mess with him," Bobby said firmly.

Dean pulled himself together and hardened his face. Bobby was right. He couldn't give up on Sam. "Damn straight."

"Let's get started," Bobby said.

Dean stood up and followed Bobby out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel stood in a wooded area waiting for someone. He had someone in Heaven he still trusted and was hoping they'd know if an angel had gotten their hands on Sam. Castiel still didn't believe it was angels, but he wanted to be sure.

"Hello, Brother."

Castiel turned around to see his brother in a vessel with dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and looked it be in his late teens. "Jedidiah, thank you for coming.

"I shouldn't have. You have been cut off from Heaven. I frankly can't understand why you have done this for two humans. But you are still my brother and I owe you to at least speak with you," Jedidiah said.

"Thank you, brother. I need your help. I need to find Sam Winchester," Castiel said. As soon as he'd said the name, he saw something on Jedidiah's face that told him he knew something.

"How could I help you with that? You've hidden the Winchesters. Did you truly not think that it would hide them from you as well, Castiel. You should know better than that," he said.

"It's not that. Something took Sam Winchester from his motel room. I just wonder if it was an angel. Zachariah has gotten through before," Castiel said.

"Well, not this time as far as I know, and even if he did, it's not Samuel he'd go after. I'm sorry, Castiel, I can't help," Jedidiah said.

"You're lying," Castiel said calmly and surely. "I saw your face when I mentioned Sam's name. You know something."

"I don't know where he is," Jedidiah said truthfully.

"Tell me what you do know. I know you know something," Castiel said as he took a confrontational step forward.

"I can't, Castiel," Jedidiah said, not bothering to hide that his younger brother was right.

"Jedidiah, I realize you answer to Zachariah, but…"

"This is not about Zachariah. He doesn't know this either and he won't find out from me. Trust me, if he had this information, it would change everything," Jedidiah said.

"You mean with Michael and Lucifer? Would it stop the apocalypse?" Castiel asked.

"Perhaps, but it could lead to something much worse. That is why I never spoke of this to anyone."

"Spoke of what?" Castiel asked.

"I cannot tell you. Let the matter drop, brother," Jedidiah said.

"You do not trust me," he said.

"I don't trust anyone. You can't imagine how everyone would react to this information. If it got out, it could lead to a war involving all _four_ archangels instead of just two," Jedidiah said seriously. That was why he'd never spoken of what he'd learned many years ago. It wasn't the abomination he cared about, which is what he considered Sam Winchester. That thing should not exist. If it was anything besides an archangel that created it, he would've destroyed it himself, but going against an archangel, even the least powerful one, was suicide. Gabriel would've ended him before the abomination's grace completely left his body. If he'd gone to Michael, it might have turned into an all out war that would destroy everything, maybe even Heaven. True, he couldn't be sure that would happen, but it was the most likely outcome, and probably worse than whatever the nephilim ended up doing.

That took him by surprise. All four archangels included Gabriel, who had not been seen since Lucifer's fall. If it would bring him back and cause him to actually join the fighting, it was very big. "You are talking about something so big that could destroy Heaven."

"Yes. That is why I cannot say anything. I will tell you that if Samuel Winchester has been removed from this war, it is for the best that he remain gone," Jedidiah said before disappearing.

Castiel just stood there for a minute, not sure what to do with what he'd been told, yet hadn't been told. It shook him to know that a war could break out that was even bigger than the one they were currently in, and that it all had to do with Sam. Castiel wasn't sure what to do. Should he do as his brother suggested and leave Sam wherever he was? No, he couldn't. He could let leave Sam to fend for himself, not knowing what had him and what they were doing with him. But he couldn't tell Dean about this either. He didn't have enough information to risk that. The possibility of a war that would destroy everything all of them held dear was too much to risk.

Castiel thought about what Jedidiah did say. He'd made a point to mention the missing archangel being involved. Gabriel somehow seemed to be in the middle of this. So that was what he needed to do next. He needed to find Gabriel.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam walked out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. It had been a couple of days since he'd been kidnapped. Normally, he'd hole up in his bedroom, with the exception of being forced out to eat by Gabriel, not wanting anything to do with him, but he was starting to climb the walls being in there for so long.

When Sam got to the kitchen, he found Gabriel standing there eating a full cheesecake. "You realize it's nine in the morning, right?"

Gabriel shrugged and took another bite. "Breakfast?"

"No, just coffee," Sam said.

Gabriel waved his hand and conjured up a cup of coffee.

"You ever thought of actually doing the work of making things instead of just making them appear?" Sam asked before taking the cup and walking out of the room. He walked into the living room and sat down on the black leather couch. Seconds after sitting down, he noticed Gabriel's phone on table.

Sam put his coffee mug down and turned around to make sure Gabriel wasn't around. He finally had a chance to let Dean know he was okay. He knew his brother and probably Bobby and Cas were worried and looking all over the place. He'd of course asked to speak to Dean, but he'd been shut down by Gabriel. Just another reason to hate this bastard.

Just as Sam reached for the phone, it went flying off the table. Sam turned around and saw Gabriel standing behind him with the caught phone in his hand.

"Nice try, buddy," Gabriel said as he pocketed the phone.

Sam sighed. "Come on, just let me talk to my brother."

Gabriel didn't even respond as he walked over to the recliner to the right of the couch.

"I won't tell him anything. I just wanna know he's okay," Sam said. Okay, that was a lie. His main concern was making sure Dean knew he was okay, but he would try to get something out, like the fact that the trickster had him and maybe even that the trickster was actually an archangel before said man forced him to hang up.

Gabriel chuckled. "Sam, I spent a great deal of time watching you grow up. I know very much that you are lying to me right now. You will tell Dean something."

"Why do you care? Are you really that scared of Dean?" Sam asked goaded.

"I'm an archangel. You really think I'm afraid of muttonhead Dean?" Gabriel asked with a wry smile.

"Then what does it matter what I tell him?" Sam asked.

Gabriel's face got serious. "What does it matter? Have you forgotten that Dean is meant to hold my brother, Michael?"

"Dean won't say yes," Sam said surely.

Gabriel snorted. "My brothers don't take no for an answer. They will force it on him." Michael wouldn't likely do that himself. That wasn't the oldest archangel's style, but his lackeys sure would.

"Yeah, I know. Zachariah gave Dean stomach cancer and removed my lungs to get him to agree. But he still didn't," Sam said.

Gabriel became positively lethal at his son's words. "What do you say?"

"I said Dean wouldn't say yes, even after he tortured us," Sam said. He didn't mention that that was when Cas showed up and stopped it all. He knew then that Gabriel would just point out that that was the reason. Sam couldn't be sure he was wrong either.

"Zachariah removed your lungs?!" Gabriel asked in an almost deadly growl. That had to have happened right after Lucifer rose. He'd been a bit preoccupied for a little bit, trying to figure out what to do. Also, him making an appearance while angels were watching was a bad idea because they might notice him. Yes, he could shield his grace from regular angels, but he still didn't wanna risk it.

"Uh, yeah. I guess you weren't watching then," Sam said a bit warily. He knew Gabriel was pissed. He was World War type pissed. A tiny part of Sam once again had doubts that this wasn't a trick, but he again pushed them away.

"That little asshat is dead!" Gabriel vowed. He'd always detested Zachariah. He was an arrogant SOB who would screw over anything if it got him what he want. Now he'd dared to hurt Gabriel's son. He was going to die, painfully.

"Be my guest. But look, like I said, Dean isn't gonna say yes to Michael," Sam said.

Gabriel got himself to calm down. "I'm not taking that risk. If Dean knows who I am and he succumbs to Michael, MIchael will know everything he does. If he even finds out about me, it would create problems."

Sam sighed. "How long do you plan for us to stay here?"

"Until I'm sure my dick brothers are no longer around," Gabriel said. Of course, he doubted that would ever happen. They'd started the apocalypse. Michael and Lucifer wouldn't stop until the other was dead and that would destroy the world. If that happen, whoever was left would undoubtable learn about Sam. Gabriel could protect Sam from the end of the world, but after that who was left, especially if it was Michael, would come after him. Gabriel would then be forced to take them on.

"So you wanna just sit here while your brothers end the world?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"As opposed to what?" Gabriel asked.

"Stopping them!" Sam exclaimed.

"You think I haven't tried?!" Gabriel snapped. "I spend centuries trying to get them to stop fighting. It never works! All Lucifer cares about is being right and all Michael cares about is being a good son! There is no getting either of them to stop!"

Sam could hear the anguish in Gabriel's voice. He kind of felt bad. It had to be hard for him to be put in the middle of his brother's fighting. That had to be really hard. It made sense that he would leave, especially after his brother was cast into hell. It all had to be hard as hell. Sam knew at least one thing for sure after listening to Gabriel's rant. He was at least telling the truth about who he was. Though Sam still refused to accept that the archangel was his father. "Somebody has to stop him. We can't let them destroy the world.

"Well, it can't be me," Gabriel said. The only way he'd get involved was if they came after Sam. Otherwise, not only did he not want to fight them, but he wouldn't risk them finding out about his son.

"You don't wanna fight them."

"I will fight them if I have to. If it comes to you or them. But trust me, that won't be any better for the world," Gabriel said.

"I told you, I can take care of myself. Look, please at least let me talk to my brother. He's worried as hell right now. He shouldn't have to deal me disappearing on top of the end of the world," Sam said.

"Dean isn't my problem," Gabriel said simply. Sure, he was grateful to Dean for everything he'd done for Sam, but Sam was his number one priority. He didn't care about Dean.

"He's my brother! Please let me talk to him," Sam begged, bringing out his puppy dog eyes.

Gabriel had to think about everything Michael would do to Sam if he found out the truth in order to keep from giving into that look. That look should seriously be illegal. "I said no."

Sam huffed angrily and stormed out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Later that night, Sam was laying in bed, contemplating what he was about to try to do. About halfway through the day, Sam had come up with an idea of how to reach Dean without Gabriel even knowing. The same way Lucifer had managed to contact him. Through his dreams.

Sam was very wary about this. For one, it was a freaking long shot. What were the odds that he would be able get into Dean's head? He had no idea how to do this, even if he was part angel. Two, if this worked, there was no denying it anymore. He had to be willing to fully accept that he was the son of an archangel, something he really didn't want to do. Right now, he could take comfort in telling himself it was a lie. If he got to Dean through his dreams, all bets were off.

Sam ultimately decided it was worth it to try. It probably wouldn't work anyway and even if it did, at least Dean would know he was okay.

Sam closed his eyes and thought of Dean and entering his mind as he drifted off to sleep. The next thing he knew, he was standing outside somewhere and found Dean standing over his body a few feet away. "Dean."

Dean looked up looking like he was seconds from a mental breakdown. "S...Sammy."

"Yeah, it's me," Sam said as he walked over. "This isn't real, Dean. This is a dream.

Dean watched as the body of his brother disappeared and then looked up at the other version of him. "I've had this dream before, but you never appear it. It's always between this and seeing you as Lucifer."

"I figured that would be your fear. Look, Dean, you're dreaming, but I'm not part of it. I'm walking in your dream," Sam said. And with that last statement, it hit him. He was in his brother's dream. It was all true. Gabriel wasn't lying. He was telling the truth when he said he was Sam's father. Sam was part angel."

"You okay?" Dean asked. His brother looked kind of upset, like he would be sick in a minute.

Sam forced the thoughts of his current identity crisis away. He could fall apart later. He wasn't sure how long this thing would hold. He didn't know if it would work at his own will, so he had to make it quick. "Yeah."

"Okay, well, this is the weirdest dream I've ever had. I'm actually dreaming that you've come into my dreams," Dean said.

"No, I told you, this isn't part of your dream. I'm really here," Sam told him.

"No, you're not, but I sure have an active imagination," Dean said with a chuckle.

"Dean, it's real. I almost wish it wasn't because it means something really bad for me, but I'm here," Sam said.

"How can you be. People can't walk into other people's dreams, Sammy. Well, I guess some people can. There was that dick who got off on killing people in their dreams, but that was different," Dean said.

"Look, I can't explain how this is happening right now. I don't think I have the time and even if I did, your dreams are not the place for it," Sam said. Inwardly, he also thought that he wasn't ready to share the information. He was terrified of Dean's reaction, not to mention that he hadn't fully reacted himself. "I came because I knew you'd be worried."

"You think, Sammy. You disappeared in the middle of the freaking night. Of course I'm worried! So if this isn't a dream, and I still really, really think it is, where are you?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. I woke up in a house and I haven't left that house. I don't know where it's located. I haven't asked. It didn't really see to matter since I can't leave," Sam said.

"Tell me what SOB took you. We've been looking, but we can't figure it out. Cas doesn't even know," Dean said.

Sam hesitated, remembering what Gabriel had told him. He was tempted to just say screw him, but maybe he should be a little careful. "Dean, you have to promise you'll never say yes to Michael."

"Of course I'm saying no to that asshole. What the hell, Sam?" Dean asked.

"Promise. If you know this and Michael finds out, it could be bad," Sam said.

"Fine, I promise."

"It was the trickster," Sam finally said.

"Are you freaking kidding me?! We ruled him out. There were no games involved and that's his MO," Dean said.

"It was him, but he's not really a trickster," Sam said. No sooner than that did he feel like he was being forcibly pulled away.

Dean could see distress on his brother's face. "Sammy, what's wrong?"

"Damn it, Gabriel," Sam muttered.

"What?" Dean asked, not fully hearing what his brother said.

"Dean, he's pulling me out. Look, I'm okay. He won't do anything to me," Sam said before he found himself being completely pulled out of the dream.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam eyes shot open after he was pulled out of the dream with Dean and the first thing he saw was a really, really pissed off looking Gabriel. He looked downright murderous. it even rivaled the way his dad would look at him at times.

Gabriel yanking Sam up to a sitting position and gripped his shoulders, not enough to hurt him, but definitely enough that the younger man wouldn't be to shake. He really just wanted to throttle him for dipping into Dean's dreams. He'd known about it because Sam had said a couple of things in his sleep, like telling Dean he was in his dream. Gabriel had wasted no time in pulling him out.

"Let go," Sam said as he tried to shake off the archangel's grip.

"What did you tell him?" Gabriel demanded to know.

"Get off!" Sam yelled.

"Answer me!" Gabriel yelled back.

"I told him it was you!" Sam finally snarled.

"Did you tell him what I am?" Gabriel continued to question.

"No, I didn't have time. You pulled me out first," Sam said with a glare.

"Damn right I pulled you out! What's the matter with you?! I told you no contact!" Gabriel yelled.

"Yeah, well, screw you! I have the right to talk to my brother!"

"Did you mention my name?" Gabriel asked. If he told Dean even that much, it was dangerous. If Michael took over, he'd know right away it was his baby brother involved in Sam's disappearance. That was too much information for him to get his hands on. And Gabriel couldn't really do anything about it because he couldn't find Dean to erase his memory of the dream walking.

"Not loud enough for him to hear. Let me go, already!" Sam demanded.

Gabriel finally removed his hands from his son's shoulders. "Let me make something clear to you. When I tell you no, it's no!"

Sam got to his feet. "Go to hell! You don't get to order me around like a child!" he yelled back. If he weren't so pissed off at just the order itself, he would also point out that Gabriel never said anything about dream walking. But he was pissed. The bastard had no right to order him around or to lecture him later.

"I do when you are clearly over your head and have absolutely no self-preservation. Oh, and if you really want to see what being treated like a child is, I can indulge you," Gabriel hissed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"You've had free reign over this house. I can change that."

"What? You gonna lock me in here?" Sam said somewhat goading. That really didn't matter much to him. It wasn't like he ventured through the rest of the house often. Today was the first time he had by choice and he quickly retreated after his fight with Gabriel.

"I was thinking the opposite actually. If you can't do as I say, I will have to keep you in my sight at all times and put you to sleep myself at night," Gabriel said. He honestly had no desire for that. He didn't want to treat Sam like a child that couldn't be left alone, but he would if it came down to it. He wasn't going to let his son place himself in danger, which conversing with Dean did. He'd tried to explain that, but Sam didn't want to listen. So if the only way to keep hi son safe was to virtually keep a leash on him, so be it.

"You can't do that," Sam said in disbelief.

"You do not want to test what I can do. I will do what I have to to keep you safe. My brothers will kill you if they find out what you are. How many times do I have to explain that?" Gabriel said in disbelief.

"Well, that's your fault!" Sam yelled as he shoved Gabriel.

Gabriel didn't fall or even stumble from the push, but it was more powerful than any human could hit him with. His son was starting to get physically stronger. HIs powers were starting to come together."

"You're the one that made me into something they'd hate. Y...You made me strange even for angels," Sam said with a shudder in his voice. He couldn't stop the breakdown anymore. He'd been able to put it on hold for Dean and then later due to his anger, but talk of what he was got to him and he was forced to actually face the fact that he wasn't who he thought he was and was in fact not human.

Gabriel softened considerably after hearing his son start to break. "Sam."

"Why the hell did you do this to me? All those angels are right, I shouldn't exist," Sam said, his voice cracking.

"That's not true. Don't say that again," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam unwillingly let out a sob. This was freaking tearing him apart. He never wanted this to be true. It as worse even than the demon blood. At least he knew that was something that was done to him. First, the demon had done it and then Ruby had conned him into keeping it up, but it was the blood, it wasn't who he was, and he was still human. He wasn't with this. Not only that, but he wasn't even Sam Winchester. He was not a Winchester at all. He wasn't Dean's brother or John and Mary's son. He was some being that wasn't supposed to exist. He was a creature that every angel in the world would hate. And worse even, those angels were supposed to be his family.

"Sam, I want you to understand that there is nothing wrong with you. You're a part of me and a part of humanity. There's nothing wrong with that," Gabriel told him.

Sam sat back down on the bed. "Your brothers seem to think otherwise according to you."

"That's their problem," he said simply.

"And what if they're right? What if I become what they think I will?" Sam asked. He didn't really know what they thought of him, or rather what he was, but he knew it had to be bad. What if that was true. What if what he was was evil?"

"I know for a fact that you won't," Gabriel said.

"How?"

"Because I watched you grow up. I saw your compassion, which rivaled those you grew up with. Because I've seen you let even things that would be considered monsters go because you believed there was good in them. You're a good person, Sam," Gabriel said firmly.

"Except I'm not a person," Sam said.

"Sure you are. You're half human. But you know, you're also better than a lot of angels," Gabriel told him.

Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes. This day was really getting to him. Too much had happened since he decided to walk through Dean's head. He was exhausted.

"Lay down. I'm gonna put you to sleep," Gabriel said.

"You don't have to. I'm not gonna go looking for Dean again," Sam said. Well, he wouldn't tonight anyway. He was too messed up right now. He just wanted to sleep.

"That's not why. You won't sleep well tonight on your own. You probably won't make it more than an hour or two on your own. If I do it, you'll truly rest," Gabriel explained.

Sam nodded and laid down, pulling the blankets over him.

Gabriel put a hand on his son's forehead and watched as he immediately fell asleep. He then quickly shut off the lights and left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Dean was in Bobby's living room with Sam's laptop and about a dozen books sprawled out in front of him. He'd woken up just after his 'visit' with Sam and immediately started researching things that appeared as tricksters to find out what that SOB really was.

Dean still wasn't a hundred percent sure that his dream wasn't just a dream. It seemed impossible for Sam to be in his dreams. But that dream was more vivid than any he'd ever had. It just seemed real. And frankly, why would he dream that Sam was visiting his dreams?

Dean soon heard someone come in. He turned to see Bobby in the doorway. "Morning, Bobby."

"How long have you been up?" Bobby asked.

"Since two this morning. I didn't get a lot of sleep, but it was all I needed. I know what has Sammy. Sort of," Dean said.

"Don't keep me in suspense, boy," Bobby said as he started pushing his chair towards the younger man.

"It's the trickster," Dean said.

"What? That doesn't make sense. A trickster isn't gonna kidnap someone in the middle of the night without leaving any trace of himself. They don't come and go quietly," Bobby said.

"Well, if it helps, he's not really a trickster," Dean said.

"How do you know that?" Bobby asked.

"Sam told me," Dean stated before taking a sip from his fourth cup of coffee of the day.

"What? Sam called you?" Bobby asked surprised.

"Not exactly. I suppose you could say he dropped by. By that I mean my subconsciousness. He took a walk through my dream last night," Dean said. He didn't understand how that happened. Dream walking shouldn't be possible for a normal human. How in the hell had Sammy gotten into his head.

"What? Are you telling me this is all due to a dream you had?" Bobby asked exasperated.

"It wasn't a dream, Bobby. Well, okay, it was, but this part I think was real. It felt real. Sam was there," Dean said.

"And how the hell would he have managed that?" Bobby asked skeptically.

Before Dean could answer, he saw Cas appear right behind Bobby. "Where have you been? I called you hours ago."

Bobby turned around to see what the hell Dean was talking about and found the angel directly behind him. "Damn, can't you at least were a bell."

"Why would I do that. I have no need for bells," Castiel said before turning to Dean. "I'm sorry, Dean, but I knew you'd called about Sam and I have nothing to report." Actually, the real reason was that he was looking for Gabriel. Of course, he was not very effective in that regard, unsurprisingly. Gabriel did not want to be found and had the means to hide himself. He only came now because it occurred to him that maybe Dean knew something at this point.

"Well, I do. I saw him last night," Dean said.

"Sam returned?" Castiel asked surprised.

Dean shook his head. "No, he came into my dream."

Castiel looked at him confused. "I don't understand. You dreamed of your brother?"

"No. Well, yes, I did and it was a really crappy one, but then Sam showed up for real in my dream, like Lucifer did with him," Dean said.

"That is impossible. Lucifer is an angel. That's why he could appear in Sam's dreams, but Sam is human. Humans don't have the ability to go into another's dream," Castiel said.

"Yeah, I know. As he was telling me what he was doing, I thought it was just a dream, but it felt real. I think he was there. Maybe it was the demon blood. Maybe some of it is still in his system," Dean speculated. It wasn't the best theory, but it was all he had.

Castiel shook his head. "No, I could sense the demon blood when it was there. It's a taint that angels know. It's gone now. There is now nothing unclean about your brother's body."

"Okay, well, I'll figure out how he did it later. Look, he gave me information about what took him. It was this trickster we've come across a couple of times, but Sam said he's not really a trickster," Dean explained. Honestly, he was worried about how Sam had managed it, but there were more important things to deal with now. He'd worry about it more when he had his brother back.

"Okay, let's assume Sam came into your dreams. Did he tell you what this thing really was?" Bobby asked.

Dean shook his head. "He didn't have a chance. He got pulled out," Dean said.

"He got pulled out? He didn't leave on his own?" Castiel asked.

"No, he stated clearly 'he's pulling me out,' Dean relayed.

"I don't suppose he mentioned his name," Bobby said.

"I think he did, but I didn't catch it. Towards the end, he muttered something under his breath that I couldn't quite hear," Dean said.

"Explain the entire encounter, Dean," Castiel instructed.

"Well, he told me he was in my dream. I argued the fact that it was just a dream, a lot like you two did. I asked him how he could be in my dream. He knew the answer, but he didn't wanna tell me. He said he didn't know if he had the time. Actually, he did tell me something. He said it meant something bad for him," Dean said. After remembering that, Dean became worried again. What the hell had happened to his brother? Had that asshole trickster, or whatever he was, done this?

Bobby could see that Dean was upset by this, hell, so was he, but now wasn't the time. Like you said, we can figure out what's going on with him later. Keep going, Dean."

"Yeah. Well, actually there was something weird. When I asked him who took him, he wouldn't answer until I promised never to let Michael in," Dean said.

"Why would Sam assume you'd say yes to Michael?" Castiel asked.

"I don't think he did. I think he just wanted to make sure. After I promised, he told me it was the trickster, except that he wasn't really a trickster. That's when the Son of a bitch started pulling him out. Sam muttered something, probably talking to whatever this guy is and then he looked at me and told me he was okay. He said he wouldn't hurt him," Dean finished explaining.

"So Sam doesn't think the trickster means him any harm," Bobby deduced. He was going to keep calling him the trickster until he had something else to call him.

"Why would a trickster even be interested in Sam," Castiel wondered.

"Well, he seems to like messing with us, or at least Sam. I could kill the dick for what he did to him last time," Dean said angrily.

"What has he done. Explain your encounters with him. Perhaps I can figure out what he could be," Castiel said.

Dean quickly explained the two encounters they'd have with the 'trickster'. He of course went more into detail with the the last incident, as that one had him the most pissed off. "He killed me about a thousand times just to screw with Sammy's head. He told him he was teaching him a lesson about trying to save me."

"He started a time loop. Sam's right, he's not a trickster. No trickster could do that," Castiel said.

"Well, what can?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know of any being other than God and angels who can manipulate time. Demons aren't even capable of that. And a time loop, not even regular angels can do that," Castiel said.

"What can create a time loop?" Dean asked.

"Well, God clearly can. His power is infinite," Castiel said.

"I refuse to believe this douchebag is God," Dean said.

"No, I don't think so either. The only other thing that I can even think of that can do it is an archangel. There power is almost limitless as well," Castiel said.

Dean remembered Cas telling him about the fourth archangel who'd left after Lucifer was sent to hell. Gabriel. It could be him. In fact, when he thought about it, that could be the name Sam had said last night. Dean couldn't quite hear him, but he heard the 'G' in the beginning and the 'L' at the end. "That SOB has been an angel the whole damn time! It's Gabriel."

"Who the hell is Gabriel?" Bobby asked.

Dean ignored Bobby's question and focused on the angel. Cas didn't seem at all surprised to hear that his brother had kidnapped Sam. "Did you know it was him, Cas?"

"Of course not. But I received some information that suggested that Gabriel might play a part in what is happening," Castiel said.

"Who is Gabriel?" Bobby asked again.

"Cowardly archangel who ran away from home when his asshat brother got sent to hell," Dean said without even looking away from Castiel. "What information are you talking about, Cas. Why is your brother messing with mine. He wanna hand him to Lucifer."

"I doubt it. Gabriel left Heaven because he didn't want to take a side against either Lucifer or Michael. He didn't want to be around the fighting. I don't see him choosing," Castiel said.

"So what's going on then?" Dean asked.

Castiel decided he needed to tell Dean what he knew. He hadn't wanted to risk it before, but now that Dean knew Gabriel had Sam, it was necessary. He needed to know before he proceeded. "I went to see a brother of mine that I trust. I'd hoped that he knew where Sam was. He didn't, but I knew he knew something regarding Sam."

"What?" Dean asked.

"He would not tell me. He said he wouldn't tell anyone about this, that includes Zachariah and Michael. He's afraid that if anyone found out, it could be worse than what we're dealing with now," Castiel said.

"Worse than the freaking apocalypse?" Dean asked skeptically. He found it hard to believe that anything could be worse than the world ending.

"Yes. He believes if this gets out that it will lead to war between all four archangels, instead of just two. That is something that would likely destroy both Earth and Heaven," Castiel said grimly. He couldn't allow that to happen. He needed to do anything he could to prevent such carnage.

"Wait, I thought you said Gabriel wasn't a fighter," Dean said.

"He's not. That has me the most worried. I cannot imagine something so huge that would have Gabriel taking on his own brothers, especially the archangels. As the first of God's angels, they were the closest. Imagining something that big isn't a pleasant for me. It also makes me believe that the fight begins with Gabriel, especially since he's now kidnapped Sam," Castiel said.

"And what's it have to do with Sam?" Dean asked.

"He's in the middle of it. I don't know how, but he must be. And now I'm thinking it must have something to do with his ability to dream walk," Castiel said. He didn't know how Sam had managed to get such an ability, but he believed it had to be involved with this somehow.

"Well, get your dick brother here and make him explain this crap!" Dean demanded.

"I have tried to call for Jedidiah again, but it doesn't work. He's ignoring me. I've been looking for Gabriel, but I have no idea how to find him," Castiel said.

"Do what you did with the last archangel!" said a frustrated Dean. He wanted this bastard found so he could tear him apart and then get his brother back.

"That was different, Dean. Raphael didn't even try to hide his presence here. He didn't care to. That is how we were able to get to his vessel and make the call. Gabriel is hiding. He doesn't want to be found, and that was even before he kidnapped Sam. He's not even gonna appear as a trickster now. He won't allow us to find him," Castiel said.

"I'm finding that piece of crap and then I'm gonna kill him!" Dean vowed before standing up.

"Dean, I have explained this. You cannot kill an archangel. Their power is almost absolute. He could kill you without even touching you and leave little evidence that you ever existed. Jedidiah is afraid he will take on the other archangels. Do you really think he won't kill you if you come after him?" Castiel said as a warning.

"What happened to me being untouchable?" Dean asked. Cas had told him once that no angel would ever kill him because he was Michael's vessel.

"I believe humans use this expression. The game has changed. It's not about Michael and Lucifer anymore, even if they don't realize it yet," Castiel said. He still had no idea what it had changed to, but it was clear that it had. Now the threat was a much bigger one.

"I don't give a damn what you say, Cas. I'm getting my brother back," Dean swore before leaving the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Sam woke up the next morning feeling pretty good. Well, physically he did. He'd slept good. It was the first night he didn't have a restless sleep since the apocalypse started. No matter his differences with Gabriel, and they were numerous, the archangel was right when he said he'd sleep well if he put him to sleep the angel way.

Of course, emotionally was a whole different story. Sam really didn't know how to deal with everything that was happening now. How was he supposed to deal with being something that wasn't supposed to exist. According to Gabriel, his existence was forbidden, something at least some angels would try to kill him for being.

Worse than all of that was what Dean would think of him. He wasn't Dean's brother anymore. They were never brothers. Sam was just something that Dean was forced to deal with because Gabriel had burdened him on Dean's family. And it had caused Dean so much trouble. It took his whole family from him and forced him to live a life he never should've had to. What if Dean hated him? That would crush him. He could live with a lot, but he didn't think he could live with his brother's hatred.

Sam really wanted to go back to denial, but he threw that away the moment he decided to talk a walk into Dean's dreams. Not that he regretted that. Dean needed to know that he was alright. Sam couldn't let him torture himself wondering what was going on. That would be selfish and he'd already been too selfish with Dean. He just wished he didn't have to deal with this, but he did.

Sam took a deep breath and got up. He had to deal with this no matter how much he didn't want to. He had to find out what he was and what it meant for him. He didn't have the luxury of hiding in denial anymore. It was time to face reality.

Sam decided that he would take a shower and then go talk to Gabriel. He grabbed some clothes from the dresser that Gabriel had gotten him right after he brought him there and headed for the bathroom. He took about a ten minute shower before getting dressed and heading for the kitchen.

Gabriel was sitting at the table finishing off a plate of waffles when Sam arrived. "Morning. You slept well, I"m assuming."

"Yeah, thanks. We need to talk," Sam said. He had questions that only Gabriel could answer for him. At least he hoped he could answer them.

Gabriel nodded in agreement and pointed to the chair across from him. "What do you want to eat?"

Just toast and maybe some fruit is fine. I'm not really hungry," Sam said.

Gabriel conjured up Sam's order, as well as a cup of coffee.

Sam ate quickly and silently, taking a few extra minutes before he forced himself to ask the questions he wasn't sure he really wanted answers to. "I have questions. Please be honest with me when you answer them."

"I've never lied to you," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded. "Who's my mother, since it clearly isn't Mary Winchester?"

Gabriel sighed. Honestly, that was the one question he dreaded answering the most. Sam wouldn't like the answer, as his conception wasn't exactly romantic. But Gabriel wouldn't lie, even before Sam asked him not to, he wouldn't. "Her name is Melanie Randell. We weren't in love. She was just someone I went to from time to time."

Sam winced slightly at what Gabriel was implying with the last remark.

"You wanted truth, kid," Gabriel reminded.

Sam nodded. "So you just used each other."

"I guess that's the best way you can put it," he said.

"When did she tell you about me?" Sam wondered.

"She didn't. I hadn't seen her since she got pregnant with you. I found out when you were born. I felt you as soon as you drew breath," Gabriel told him.

"We're that connected?" Sam asked surprised.

Gabriel nodded. "I can always feel you. That's why no sigil is ever going to keep you from me. You are a part of me and I can always reach you."

"Why give me to my… the Winchesters? Why not leave me with Melanie?" Sam asked.

"Well, aside from the fact that she was human with no knowledge of how to raise a nephilim, she wasn't fit to care for anyone's kid for even an hour. She was not raising mine," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam wasn't sure where it came from, but he took a small bit of comfort in Gabriel's last statement. For some reason he wasn't sure he understood, it mattered to him that Gabriel didn't just leave him with a woman he didn't find fit.

"I left you with Mary Winchester because she would know what to expect, after I explained anyway, and unlike most other hunters, she wouldn't hurt you because you were supernatural," Gabriel explained. He'd told Sam this before, but at that point, the kid wasn't listening. He had been busy trying to make it all a lie. Now that he knew it was true, he needed to hear it again.

"S...she died for me," Sam said guiltily. He hated that she'd died for him. He hated it before, but he hated it even more now. Mothers were supposed to do what they had to for their kids, but he wasn't really hers. He was something that shouldn't have ever been forced on her. She'd be alive if he hadn't been.

"Sam, that is not your fault."

"That demon was after me, not her. If she'd never been given me, she'd still be alive," Sam said.

"Then blame me for that. I handed you over to her. You had no choice in the matter. And just so you know, you were not something Mary felt burdened with. She loved you. She walked into that nursery because her son was in danger. She didn't care that she didn't bring you into the world or that you weren't a normal child. She loved you like you were both," Gabriel told him. He'd watched Mary with his son. He'd watched them all, but especially her because she was the only one who knew and he wanted to make sure he could trust her with Sam. He'd found her love for Sam to be just as undeniable as it was for her own son.

Sam decided to let the subject drop. He didn't want to talk or even think about that guilt right now. "Why didn't you take me after she died? Not that I would've wanted to be taken away, but why didn't you?"

"Oh, I considered it. I considered it many times over the years. The first time the SOB left you alone with eight-year-old Dean is a prime example," Gabriel said irritably. He couldn't help it. He really hated John Winchester.

"That had happened ever since I remembered. I never knew anything different, so it never bothered me?" Sam said. Later on, the hunting and the always moving bothered him, but not being left with Dean. Dean had always been his constant. "But why did you then?"

"Because my reasons for leaving you with the Winchesters' hadn't changed. You were still safer than you would be if any of my brothers found out you existed. I could look out for you sometimes when you were with John. Like the time the idiot took you out to fight a werewolf for the first time," Gabriel said. He'd almost murdered John that day. Sam had been barely eleven at the time and that thing nearly killed him. Gabriel had had to intervene and kill the thing himself.

"You were there for that, I guess. Dean saved me. It was fine," Sam said.

"No, he didn't actually. Dean was about a mile away when it attacked you. I took care of it and then altered both your memories," Gabriel told him.

"Really?" Sam asked surprised.

Gabriel nodded. "It happened a couple other times too. I tried not to get involved whenever possible because I didn't want Heaven noticing, but I acted when I had to."

"Why didn't you do anything when I was killed?" Sam asked. He tried to keep any anger and resentment from his voice, but some came out. He couldn't help it. That moment started everything. Dean went to Hell because of it, leading Ruby to screwing with Sam, plus Dean unintentionally breaking the first Seal. Why couldn't his archangel father have done something to stop all that.

Gabriel looked down at the table, not wanting to see how broken even the memory made him. "I felt your last breath. The connection we shared completely dissolved. I wanted to die. I sat in a heap in a corner. I couldn't think straight. I was gone. When I finally regained some brain function, I was going to plunge my archangel blade into my own chest. That was when I realized that as an archangel, I had the power to bring you back. Before I could though, I felt you breathing again. I felt the connection come back to life. Dean had made the deal."

Sam had heard the pain in Gabriel's voice. The archangel couldn't keep the shakiness from his voice as he explained his reaction to Sam's death. Gabriel really did care about him a lot. He'd thought before it was an act, but it really wasn't. He mattered to Gabriel. "Sorry. I just hate that Dean went to hell for me. So if you can bring me back, why are you so afraid of the other angels."

"There are ways it can be stopped. Michael could stop it, make sure your DNA is completely eradicated from the Earth," Gabriel said.

"Why am I not allowed to exist? What am I?" Sam asked. He knew the term for what he was, but he had no idea what it meant. What was he destined for? Would he be evil? Would he be like Lucifer? Could he even be worse than Lucifer?

"You're my son. Anything else you might be doesn't matter," Gabriel said firmly.

"It matters if I'm destined to be the next Lucifer," Sam said.

"First of all, all Lucifer is is a fallen angel. I'll be honest, I don't even agree with his fall. What he did afterwards, yes, but not the fall. He fell because of his opinion. He didn't like humans and he didn't want to worship them," Gabriel said.

"That doesn't make sense. Most angels don't seem to like us," Sam said, thinking of Zachariah and Uriel.

"They don't. Michael has pretty much the same opinion as Lucifer, which is why I called him a hypocriteFor a few thousand times before I left. But they respected Dad's wishes and agreed to protect and love them. Lucifer wouldn't," Gabriel said.

"So he fell because he didn't lie?" Sam asked.

"Essentially. Now, at this point, Lucifer needs to be stopped, but he hadn't really done anything but disagree back then. But back to you because that's all I really care about right now. You are not Lucifer and you're not evil. I told you last night, you have too much compassion for that," Gabriel said.

"I started the apocalypse," Sam pointed out.

"Angels and demons started the apocalypse. You were just a tool they used to do it, and you weren't the only one. Dean broke the first seal," Gabriel reminded him.

"That isn't his fault. He was being tortured for decades! Anyone would've broke," Sam said.

"That's my point. It's not his fault and killing Lilith wasn't yours. You were influenced by a demon and poison," Gabriel told him.

"But was it really the demon blood? Maybe it was me. Maybe it's how I'm gonna be," Sam said as he looked down at his lap.

"Look at me," Gabriel instructed. He waited until his son's eyes raised to his own. "I don't want you buying what my brothers believe. You're not evil because you're a nephilim. As I know you're aware by now, my brothers can be narrow minded dicks, and they can definitely be wrong. I'm not going to let you damn yourself because of them."

"I need some time alone," Sam said before he started to get up. Gabriel's voice stopped him.

"You can have it in a minute. We're not done with last night. I need you to get that should Michael find out what you are, there is a good chance he'll kill you. Well, he'll try anyway and then I'll have to either kill him or he'll kill me. I am doing my best to avoid that. You keep yourself out of Dean's head," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam nodded after a minute. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in Dean's dreams anyway. Dean would know something was wrong if he saw him and demand to know, and Sam wasn't sure his brother would accept him if he told him the truth.

"I won't hesitate to make good on what i said last night. I will not feel you die again," he said.

"I won't do it again," Sam promised.

Gabriel nodded in satisfaction.

"Would Michael really kill me. I mean, know what you said, but you're his brother?" Sam asked. He got the feeling it was different than like with Cas and the other angels. He got the impression that the archangels were a lot more tight. Would Michael really kill his brother's son.

Gabriel sighed. He would love to believe that Michael would leave Sam be if only for his sake, but he had no faith in Michael anymore. All his eldest brother cared about was pleasing their father. He'd proven that. "So was Lucifer."


	12. Chapter 12

Castiel teleported into Bobby Singer's kitchen a few days later, where he found Dean sitting at the table with his phone pressed to his ear. Castiel was holding his own phone, which was ringing. "You were calling."

Dean hung up his phone. "Any news on your asshole brother?" It had been over a week since he'd seen his brother, not including the dream invasion, and he was getting antsy. He wanted Sam back and away from the dick trickster slash archangel.

"I would've told you if I'd found Gabriel," Castiel said.

"Come on, Cas, there has to be a way to 'find him," Dean said.

"I'm doing everything I can, Dean. He knows how to hide. He's been doing it for a millennia."

"I want my brother back, Cas!" Dean fumed.

"I understand. He hasn't appeared to you while you were sleeping again?" Castiel asked.

"No," Dean said. He'd hoped Sam would come back into his head. For that reason, he hadn't fought going to sleep instead of looking for Sam. He'd hoped Sam would show up. But it didn't work.

"I suppose it is logical that he didn't. After being caught, Gabriel would watch him more closely," Castiel guessed.

An idea occurred to Dean. "Wait, you said you could go into people's dreams. You can go talk to Sam."

"I did consider that. It's not a good idea. Gabriel would know the moment I entered Sam's dream. He would pull me out," Castiel said.

"And maybe kill you," Dean realized.

"That's a concern, yes. Gabriel isn't as quick to attack as the others, but he's still an archangel and his wrath should be both respected and feared. However, that's not the reason I don't try it. One reason is as I said, it would be redundant as he would sense me and pull me out. The other is that any chance I have at getting him to trust me would disappear," Castiel said.

"Why would you care if he trusts you?" Dean asked. They didn't need this bastard to trust them. They needed to find him and get Sam away from him. No trust was necessary.

"Because I need to know what he knows. Something he knows is dramatic enough that it could cause a war. We need to work together to try to stop that from happening. I understand that you're angry about Sam, Dean, but Sam has already said he'd okay. Gabriel won't hurt him. It's important to figure out what's going on. For that, I need Gabriel to know he can trust me," Castiel said.

"Well, I don't give a damn about his trust. I want my brother back. We gotta find him. There has to be a way," Dean said.

"I have considered calling out to him as I did with my brother Jedidiah, but it would be very risky. All angels would be able to hear it and they would act. It was different when I called Jedidiah. No one would care about random angels contacting each other, especially the archangels. They wouldn't care enough to pay attention. But Gabriel is another matter. He hasn't been seen in thousands of years. It would draw a lot of attention," Castiel said.

"I'll do it then. I can pray to him or something," Dean said. Any prayer he'd send out would probably actually be a large rant filled with threats, but he was sure it was the same principle.

Castiel shook his head. "No. Any angel would be able to hear you and they'd come immediately. It would be no different than handing you over to Michael."

"What about Bobby?" Dean asked.

"What about me?" Bobby asked as he entered the room.

Castiel looked at Bobby, considering it. That could work. Then he turned back to Dean. "You'd have to leave."

Dean shook his head. "No freaking way."

"Dean, the angels know you're friends with Bobby. If they hear him praying, they may show up," Castiel told him. He hoped that wouldn't happen. He hoped that they wouldn't be paying too much attention to Bobby. The fact that it was a specific angel might make them listen, but maybe not. Gabriel was known in the man made Bible. They might not think anything of a human calling for him.

"Wait a minute, you want me to pray?" Bobby asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, to Gabriel," Castiel said.

"Cas, he has my brother. I'm gonna be here when the SOB shows up," Dean said.

"First of all, Dean, I don't know that Gabriel will show up. This is simply the only chance we have to get a message to him. Second, you being here and angering him isn't going to help Sam, and finally, we can't allow Zachariah to get to you and take you to Michael. You promised Sam never to say yes, remember?" Castiel asked.

Dean just sat there for a minute. Then he wordlessly got up, grabbed his coat and walked out the back door.

"So you want me to do this now?" Bobby asked. He couldn't believe he was about to pray to some freaking angel. But it was to get Sam back. That was enough of a reason.

"No, I need to make sure I can get rid of any unwanted angels that show up first," Cas said before grabbing a knife that was on the table and cutting himself. He then went to the door and drew the banishing sigil in his blood, just like he had a while ago to try to help Dean.

"Your ass if cleaning that with this is over," Bobby informed him.

Once Castiel finished, he walked back over to Bobby. "You must be careful about what you say. We want him to come so we can work together to stop whatever war may be starting. We can't anger him."

"So not only do I have to pray, I have to be nice. I aint even nice to people I like," Bobby grumbled. "What do you want me to say?"

"Just impress on him the need to speak with him. Don't mention Sam's name. We don't want other angels to know he's missing even from me, especially Lucifer. Don't mention yours either. Hopefully the others won't know your voice and will just ignore you like most others. Gabriel will know who's calling to him without you saying your name," Castiel said.

"I don't even know how to do this," Bobby said.

"You've never prayed?" Castiel asked.

"I'm not exactly religious," Bobby said.

"I wish I could direct you, but I'm unfamiliar with the way human's pray," Castiel said.

Bobby sighed and looked towards the ceiling. "Gabriel, we could use your help over here and maybe you can use ours. I think no matter what else, we have a common goal. We can work together. So get your ass down here, would you? That's as nice as I get," Bobby said, directing the last part to Castiel.

"That should be alright. You didn't say anything to alert the other angels that something is amiss," Castiel said. It would've been different if it had been him. Like he told Dean, an angel calling for Gabriel would raise suspicion, but not so much with a human. Most angels tended to disregard those prayers altogether.

"What now?" Bobby asked.

"We will have to wait to see if he comes," Castiel said before sitting down at the table.


	13. Chapter 13

Sam was currently laying on the couch reading a book while Gabriel watched a movie from the recliner. Sam had decided a couple of days ago to stop hiding out in the bedroom. Things weren't going to be changing any time soon, so he decided he should just get used to things. Besides, slightly grudgingly, he had to admit that being around Gabriel wasn't that bad. He still recently essentially being held captive and not being allowed contact with those he cared about, even though he wasn't sure what he'd say if he could talk to Dean or Bobby, but, despite that, Sam was starting to understand that Gabriel's actions, no matter how much Sam hated them, were a result of how much he cared. He wasn't just some evil trickster who was trying to cause problems.

Gabriel snickered as he watched some movie that he didn't know the name of that portrayed angels as these perfect beings that loved humans and only wished to make their lives better. People really didn't have a clue what they were really like. "These people should be sued for false advertisement."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, if they only knew what SOBs most of you are really like, like Zachariah."

"Well, Zachariah's going to die in the most creative, torturous way my brain can come up with the next time I see his smarmy…" Gabriel trailed off as he heard a voice in his head call out to him.

Sam looked over from his book to see that Gabriel had become very distracted. "What is it?"

Gabriel listened to Bobby Singer's prayer and silently cursed. Clearly they knew he, as in the archangel, Gabriel, had Sam. That was way more information than he wanted them knowing. He was also annoyed that Castiel actually had them praying to him. Angels didn't often pay attention to human prayers, but there was always a chance.

"Gabriel, what's wrong?" Sam asked.

Gabriel stood up, making up his mind to go to Singer. He couldn't ignore the man's prayer. For one, he wanted to ascertain exactly what they knew, and for another, he couldn't risk them trying this again. "I'll be back in a little bit. I need to take care of something."

Sam went to say something, but before he had the chance, Gabriel was gone.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"What are the chances that he does show up?" Bobby asked as he waited with Cas for Gabriel.

"Miniscule," Castiel said honestly. He doubted Gabriel would answer Bobby's prayers. He wanted to stay hidden. He wasn't likely to pay Bobby any attention. It had simply been the only option they had.

"So then why the hell'd you have me do it?" Bobby asked irritably. Not only had he prayed for the first time in his life, but he'd had to be nice about it. The last part alone annoyed him, especially if it was for nothing.

"It was the only chance we had. I had to try. I just wanted to talk to him, hopefully gain his trust," Castiel said.

"Your brother's a bastard, Cas. He kidnapped Sam. He doesn't deserve any trust," Bobby said with a scowl.

"Now that's uncalled for, Bobby," a third voice said.

They both turned around to see Gabriel leaning lazily against the wall opposite them with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Castiel felt the grace and power radiate off of the newcomer and knew immediately that it was his brother. "Gabriel."

"Little bro. I'm gonna assume that's not for me since you wanted me here," Gabriel said as he pointed to the banishing sigil on the door.

"I was worried that other angels might show up," Castiel said.

"You did realize the family might be listening. You weren't stupid, you were just reckless," Gabriel said irritably.

"I didn't have a choice. This was the only way I could contact you. It would've been worse if I'd called myself," Castiel said.

"Hmm. So what do you two want?" Gabriel asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sam," Bobby said with a glare.

Gabriel let out a fake wince. "Yeah, he's not for sale. Aim a little lower."

"What the hell do you want with Sam?" Bobby demanded to know.

Gabriel was glad to hear that they didn't know what Sam was. He didn't really expect them to, but he had to be sure. "Well, that doesn't really seem like your concern. Where's Dean? I would think that muttonhead would be the one in my face right now."

"I couldn't allow him to be here, in case other angels showed up," Castiel said. There was also the fact that Gabriel was right about Dean's reaction and it wouldn't do anything to help them gain Gabriel's trust, which was the only way they would learn anything.

"Good call there. So I'm going to assume we're finished here, since you want something I won't give you and you really have nothing to over me like Bobby here suggested in his prayer. I guess I should go. No more prayers, boys," Gabriel said. Honestly, right now he'd like to erase their memories of his identity, but it would be redundant since Dean wasn't there and he couldn't find him to do the same to him. Dean would just fill them back in.

"Wait," Castiel said.

"For what, brother. You're not getting Sam, which was all you wanted, so there's not much else to talk about. Well, actually, I will leave you with a consolation prize. It wouldn't be right for you to have called me only to be completely disappointed," Gabriel said before approaching Bobby. He placed two fingers on the hunter's leg, healing him within seconds.

Bobby felt full sensation return to his legs. He stood up and looked at Gabriel in shock. "Why?"

Gabriel shrugged like it meant nothing to him. In actuality, it was a thank you. Bobby had done almost as much for Sam as Dean did. He owed him this much. "Well, see you later. Actually, you won't."

"Gabriel, don't go. We can help," Castiel said.

"And what makes you think I need help with anything?" Gabriel asked.

"I know that something is going on regarding Sam, something that could possibly start a bigger war than the one we're currently involved in," Castiel said.

Gabriel was very uneasy. His youngest brother knew way more than he should. Gabriel needed to know exactly what Castiel knew and how, but it was a conversation for the two of them only and not where other angels could possibly show up. So with a snap of the fingers, he teleported them both out of the Singer residence and to a second residence he had, once he'd kept for years as the trickster.

Castiel was slightly surprised by the sudden change in location, but he got over it quickly.

"What do you know?" Gabriel asked in a low voice.

Castiel gulped slightly. That tone from an archangel didn't bode well. If he didn't answer in satisfaction, he would soon feel the youngest archangel's wrath. "Not a lot. I only know that something is going on that could lead to all four of you to fight, leading to the destruction of Earth and Heaven, and that Sam is involved."

"And how would you know that?" Gabriel said.

Despite his apprehension, Castiel was unwilling to give up Jedidiah, not knowing what Gabriel would do to their brother just for knowing what he knew. So he tried to evade the question and reassure him of his loyalty, hoping it would calm him. "Gabriel, I assure you, you can trust me with whatever it is. I simply want to stop everything we hold dear from being destroyed and to make sure Sam is safe."

Gabriel laughed. "You want my trust, Brother. You who stab in the back every other minute?"

Castiel was confused at the accusation. "I have not stabbed anyone in the back."

Now Gabriel rolled his eyes. "You've been secluded in Heaven for too long, Castiel. It's a human figure of speech. It means you switch sides like you breath. You betrayed Dean and Sam by not telling them you were really working to start the apocalypse instead of stopping it. Then you screwed over Heaven in favor of the Winchester. Don't get me wrong, Heaven needed to be screwed over, but clearly you can see why I'd have a hard time believing I can trust you."

"I was wrong to deceive Sam and Dean. I was told that the apocalypse was meant to happen and that it would bring paradize, but it never felt right. Even when I told myself that it would be better afterwards, it still felt untrue. That is why I rebelled. I put faith in Sam and Dean," Castiel said.

"You put faith in Dean. All Sam is to you is the man tainted by a demon and destined to hold Lucifer," Gabriel said with a snarl.

"That's not true anymore. I have seen Sam without the influence of demon blood. He is a good man. He can fight Lucifer and help end this," Castiel said. He couldn't deny that he once did see Sam the way Gabriel had accused him of seeing him, but now he considered Sam a friend. He wanted to help him. "Look, on my own, I have figure out that Sam is likely something other than completely human. Human's can't dream walk. I know you are trying to protect him, even if I don't know why. I want to help. I mean this with the utmost respect because I understand your power, but if what I've learned is accurate, you will need help."

"And an angel well on his way to losing his Grace can help me?" Gabriel asked.

"I can try," Castiel said.

Gabriel contemplated it. He could use an ally should things go South. Castiel wouldn't be much of a help, but at the least, maybe he could help keep Sam away from Michael should the oldest archangel learn his identity. He just wasn't sure he was willing to put trust in Castiel. His brother appeared to want to help now, but that could easily change when the word 'nephilim' came up.

In a split second decision, Gabriel decided he'd give his trust to Castiel. If there was any angel that might react positively, it was Castiel, and if the angel made a move on Sam or showed any discord towards him, Gabriel could always smite him. "Okay, Brother. I will give you a chance. I'm going to take you to Sam because I'm not sure you'll believe it without seeing and feeling him. If you do anything to him, I will kill you and destroy any single piece of you that Dad could possibly try to bring back."

"I understand," Castiel said.

With a snap of Gabriel's fingers, they were gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Sam resumed reading not long after Gabriel left. He was a little annoyed at how the archangel just abruptly left with no explanation or answer to Sam's questions. He was also curious about what made him leave, and though he wouldn't admit it, a bit worried as well. But there was nothing he could do until Gabriel got back, as he still couldn't even leave the house. He'd tried the door just to see if Gabriel's absence would open the door. He was unsurprised to see that it didn't.

Sam became engrossed in his book, with just a few thoughts on Gabriel and whatever he was dealing with when he heard a familiar voice.

"Sam."

Sam yelped in surprise and actually almost fell off the couch as the shock caused him to jump. He looked over and saw that Gabriel had returned with Cas. "Holy crap! Don't do that!"

"I apologize, Sam, I didn't mean to frighten you," Cas said, barely registering his own words. He was focussed on what he got off the young hunter. He could feel the difference in him. He could feel Grace.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as he got to his feet. "What's Cas doing here? You said you didn't trust angels."

"I don't, but he's convinced me he might be different. I don't exactly trust him yet, but I've agreed to give him a chance. It's up to you though. I will get him out of here if that's what you want," Gabriel said. He knew Castiel knew that Sam wasn't fully human and since arriving, he also knew the kid had Grace. Sam's Grace had grown a lot in the last week and it was no longer so easy to hide it. But Gabriel could take care of anything Castiel knew if that's what Sam wanted.

Sam thought about it. He really wasn't sure he wanted Cas to know. He didn't want to deal with the possible rejection. He and Cas weren't that close, but he considered him a friend. Plus, now he was technically his family. He didn't want Cas to see him as evil. But on the other hand, he thought maybe he needed to see if Cas would reject or accept him. It might be proof that he was or wasn't what angels thought of him. It was different for Gabriel to accept him. Gabriel was his father, though that was still hard for Sam to accept. He was supposed to accept him no matter what. The uncle that barely knew him was less obligated, especially since he'd been taught to hate what Sam was. "No, it's okay."

Castiel took a step towards Sam with a very shocked and confused look still on his face.

Gabriel immediately pulled Castiel back and then positioned himself between his brother and his son. "Uh, uh, bro. You keep your distance until I say otherwise or I wreck all of Dad's hard work."

"What did you do?" Castiel asked in a low and angry tone. Sam had Grace in him and he shouldn't. And it wasn't Lucifer. There was no trace of the fallen angel in Sam, and there should be. An angel's Grace was what identified them. But the Grace in Sam didn't have an identity for any other angel. It was just there. That could only mean Gabriel had done something to Sam, though Castiel couldn't figure out what.

Gabriel glared at his brother. He was getting pissed. Castiel's last question led him to believe that the younger angel had figured things out and that he was already condemning Sam and Gabriel himself for creating him. "Brother, I advise you to think before you say or do something you won't live to regret."

"Gabriel," Sam said before moving to get between the two.

Gabriel had Sam sitting back on the couch and kept there with a couple of simple hand gestures before he could take two steps. "You will not get involved!"

"What did you do to him, brother? How and why did you give him Grace?" Castiel demanded to know.

Gabriel calmed down a bit. It seemed Castiel hadn't figured it out like he thought. He was believed Gabriel had done something to Sam.

"He didn't do this to me, Cas," Sam said. Okay, technically that statement wasn't true. Gabriel did do this to him, but it wasn't like Cas seemed to think. "I was born with it."

"That's not possible. Humans don't have Grace and you didn't have it a week ago," Castiel said.

"Sure he did. It just wasn't as noticeable. And true, humans don't have Grace, but you already guessed that he's not completely human. He's half angel. He's my son, Castiel," Gabriel told him

Castiel looked between both of them in shock. A nephilim. That was what he was being told Sam was. But Nephilims were forbidden. They were considered to be abominations, meant to be destroyed the moment their existence was discovered, possibly the angel who created them as well. Why would an archangel risk that? And how was it even possible that Sam was one. He would've shown signs by now. Someone would've known. "This is not possible. He can't be a nephilim. He would've exhibited some kind of ability before now."

"First of all, unless you've seen one before, which I highly doubt, you don't know that. Second of all, demon blood and Grace. You really think those two things wouldn't have some kind of reaction to each other?" Gabriel said.

Castiel supposed his brother had a point. Demons were a direct enemy of angels. It would make sense for their blood to have some sort of stifling on an angel. And Sam had recently exhibited the dream walking ability, an express power of an angel. Plus there was the Grace, which made it blatantly obvious that Sam was either possessed by an angel or was one himself. There was also Gabriel's extreme protectiveness. Right now he looked prepared to kill Castiel just to ensure he wouldn't be a threat to Sam. It had to be true. Gabriel had created a nephilim.

Castiel turned his attention to Sam and stared. Sam was something that he was supposed to hate just for existing, and if he didn't know Sam, he might try. Despite the fact that he now understood that angels could mistakes, he probably would've stood by the decree for nephilims. But he did know Sam. Despite the fact that Sam released Lucifer, which he'd done under the influence of demon blood and a manipulative demon, he was a good person.

"Cas, please say something," Sam said. The angel had been looking at him for a good five minutes and hadn't said a word. It was driving Sam crazy. He would rather the angel call him evil and try to kill him than to try to gauge his reaction any longer.

"And you best be careful about what you do say," Gabriel warned.

Castiel was about to try to go to Sam again, but he quickly realized that his brother was not going to let that happen until he at least made his thoughts on the subject clear. "Sam, I'm sorry,"

"What?" Sam asked surprised. That had been the one thing Sam hadn't expected to hear.

"You are something that will be hunted simply for existing if angels ever find out what you are," Castiel said.

"Maybe they should," Sam said.

"Sam…" Gabriel started, but his brother cut him off.

"You think what you are makes you abominable. That is what any other angel would say too. An abomination, that's what a nephilim is called. It's what they even called you before. But they're wrong," Castiel said.

Gabriel relaxed quite a bit. It looked like his decision to trust Castiel wasn't the wrong one. Castiel seemed to be accepting his son.

"May I now, Brother," Castiel asked as he glanced at Sam.

Gabriel nodded and stepped aside. He also released the hold that kept his son seated. He believed Castiel meant what he was saying. The youngest angel was not good at hiding how he truly felt. He was no actor.

Castiel walked over to Sam and sat down. "I used to think you were an abomination. A child infected with demon blood could not be anything but evil. You weren't. No matter your mistakes, your actions were never evil. Even on demon blood, you were doing what you thought was right. You didn't know what your actions would cause. That makes you better than many angels, including me."

"It doesn't matter what I was trying to do. I started the apocalypse," Sam said.

"Of course it matters, Sam," Gabriel said as he walked towards them. "My douchebag brothers wanted the apocalypse to happen, you didn't. They and a demon manipulated you. Technically, they are the ones that started this.

Sam looked at Castiel. "You were told that I was evil, both as someone with demon blood and as a nephilim."

"Yes. I was also told that starting the apocalypse was right. We know that part wasn't true. This isn't true. I'll be honest, this is a law I never questioned, but if a law exists saying that nephilims should be destroyed and you are one, then that law is wrong. You have become a friend to me. And now, you're my family," Castiel told him.

"Thanks, Cas," Sam said. He felt a lot better knowing Cas would support him. Maybe with Cas on his side, he could even believe Dean wouldn't turn his back, though that was still a pretty big worry for him. Dean had lost a lot because of him.

Castiel stood up and looked at Gabriel. "You have me for whatever you need, brother. I will help you in any way you need."

Gabriel nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Bro."


	15. Chapter 15

Dean waited about an hour before going back to Bobby's. No one had called him back, but he wasn't waiting any longer. If the dick, Gabriel showed, it should be done by now. Though Dean really hoped he was wrong and that he'd walk in and find the bastard there. He had wanted to be there in the first place. The only reason he'd agreed to leave was that he knew Cas and Bobby wouldn't let the meeting happen with him there.

Dean walked in to see Bobby leaning against the counter with a beer in his hand. "Hey, Bobby, did the douche… Bobby, you're standing!" he realized after a minute.

"Well, it appears your eyes are working well," Bobby said sarcastically before taking a sip of his beer.

"What happened? How can you stand?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"Well, I did just pray to an archangel, you idjit," Bobby said.

"He healed you. What the hell would he do that for? Not that it's not a good thing," Dean said. He added the last part after realizing how his question sounded. He just didn't get it. He'd had a couple of altercations with Gabriel, though he didn't that was who he was, and he was only interested in messing with people. Why would he heal Bobby?"

"I don't know. He joked about it being a consolation prize before he did it, but I don't know why he really did it," Bobby said. He was just as dumbfounded. He was nothing to the archangel. Why would he help him like that? Angels had proven to be dicks, so it wasn't simply to do something nice.

"What did he say about Sam? And where's Cas?" Dean asked. The angel was nowhere to be seen and that made Dean nervous.

"Well, he didn't deny that he took him, though why would he? The SOB's powerful as hell. He's got nothing to fear from us. He made it clear he's not gonna bring him back. He said Sam's 'not for sale'," Bobby explained.

"Oh, Sam's coming back and then I'm gonna kill this bastard," Dean said. He didn't care that Gabriel was an archangel and that he was supposed to be a hundred times more powerful than anything they've ever met, with the exception of the other archangels they've met. He would find a way. He wouldn't let the piece of crap continue to screw with his brother. "What about Cas?"

"I don't know where Cas is. Gabriel was gonna leave and Cas was talking him out of it, trying to gain his trust. He pleaded with him to let us help. He mentioned the bigger battle thing that whatever his name is told him about. Gabriel got a cautious and kind of agitated look on his face and snapped them both out. I haven't seen Cas since," Bobby said.

Damn it, Cas," Dean grumbled before digging out his phone and dialing.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel, Castiel, and Sam were all sitting around the living room. Sam and Castiel were on the couch while Gabriel sat in the chair. Castiel was looking at his phone which was ringing. Dean's name appeared across the front of it. "I still don't understand how the phone can know who is calling."

Sam shook his head. He wasn't even going to try to explain that again. He'd tried after Dean programmed his number into the phone, but it went right over the angel's head. He was not going there again.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Just hit 'ignore', bro, since you're obviously not going to answer it."

Castiel hit the button and put it back in his pocket.

"How is he?" Sam asked, needing some information on his brother.

"You mean Dean, yes? He is worried and very angry. He keeps speaking of killing Gabriel," Castiel said.

Gabriel snorted, clearly not worried in the slightest.

"Yes, I've told him how impossible it is, but he will not listen. He also believes he can kill Lucifer," Castiel said.

"Well, it's either that or let the end of the world happen," Sam said.

"Well, Lucifer isn't the biggest threat to that anymore," Castiel said.

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Gabriel sighed. "I told you that should I have to fight Michael that it wouldn't be better for the world. It would actually be far worse," Gabriel said.

"How can anything be worse than Lucifer trying to kill everyone and him and Michael trying to kill each other?" Sam asked.

"Sam, archangels fighting each other could never end well. That is why Michael and Lucifer fighting is considered the apocalypse. But you bring the possibility of all four of them fighting Whether it's the other three against Gabriel or they all takes sides, it will end horribly. Earth will certainly be destroyed and possibly even Heaven. There may be nothing left of either humans or angels," Castiel said grimly. That was definitely something he wanted to see avoided, though he worried that it couldn't be avoided. Could Gabriel keep this hidden forever? Because if he couldn't, everything could be destroyed.

"Are you serious? No. I don't want that kind of destruction! I'd rather die!" Sam exclaimed. This could not happen. He would not be the reason everyone's world came to a literal end. If he was, he really was what angels thought of him. No, he wouldn't be that.

"Sorry, kid, not your call. I will do what I have to to save you," Gabriel said firmly.

"By ending the world? What would be the point of being alive then anyway. That's if you even win, which is unlikely. It would all mean nothing!" Sam yelled.

Gabriel glared at his son. "Nothing? You do not mean nothing! You are my purpose for being alive! I will not live to see you die, not again! I will fight until my last breath to keep you alive, and if I have to take the rest of the world with me, so be it!"

"Sam, I cannot say I completely understand the way parental relations work. I never met my father and always had to take it on faith that he loved me. But it is my understanding that at least for humans, father's are meant to protect their children with their fullest power. Do you really expect your own father to be any different?" Castiel asked.

"Why not? The last one was," Sam mumbled. He loved his dad and although he fought him all the way, he'd recently accepted that his dad was right to raise them with the knowledge of what was out there. It was because of what they were taught that he and Dean were semi-prepared to deal with the freaking apocalypse. But his father still hadn't been the best father, and one point Sam could never get over, though he really did try, was that the man had been willing for him to die. He'd told Dean he might have to kill him one day.

"John Winchester was not your father. I don't say that because of blood either. I fully acknowledge Mary Winchester as your mother and Dean as your brother. He wasn't your father because he never acted like one. He treated you like a soldier and placed your life in danger. He's lucky I didn't kill him," Gabriel practically growled.

It might be wrong and a betrayal to John, but Sam appreciated those words. I liked that Gabriel was so outraged on his behalf over the way John treated him. A part of him even appreciated that Gabriel loved him so much that he was willing to end the world to protect him, though most of him didn't want that to ever happen. "I don't want you to destroy the world for me."

"Then help me try to prevent that. Accept that the choices I make are for your benefit. Start listening to the things I tell you. Keeping you here and away from Dean isn't a punishment. It's not something I take any enjoyment from. Keeping you away from Michael's vessel is the best way I know to ensure Michael never finds out," Gabriel said.

"You really think you can keep this hidden? Forget Michael for a minute. What about Lucifer. Eventually, he's going to realize I'm not his vessel. Hell, he will see what Cas saw when he showed up," Sam said. He really didn't see any way to avoid the other angels finding out. This hiding away thing was just delaying it all.

"Lucifer can't find you," Castiel reminded him.

"For now, but who knows for how long. Zachariah found a way around the sigil got ahold of Dean. Who is to say that Lucifer won't too?" Sam asked.

"Well, if he does, maybe I can get him to side with us," Gabriel said. He'd thought about it the last few days. It could go either way. He might be able to get Lucifer to help him. After all, his older brother would understand what it meant to be condemned because he broke Heaven's rules. On the other hand, Lucifer might condemn Sam himself. Lucifer hated humanity and Sam was part human. He might hate him for being an angel with what he would consider the taint of humanity. Gabriel would not willing attempt to figure out what side Lucifer would take, but should he find them, he could try to get the older archangel on his side.

"You wish to work with Lucifer?" Castiel asked in disbelief.

"If it'll help protect my son, I'd do it in a second. I won't be contacting him though. I won't risk him being against us," Gabriel said.

"Hey, why does Lucifer think I'm his vessel?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Probably because you set him free and because you're Michael's vessel's brother. He doesn't know that by blood you're not. I think I put a great big wedge in Destiny when I gave you to the Winchesters. They probably would've had another child that would've been able to house Lucifer. Unless it was always meant to be this way and you really are his vessel, but I don't think so," Gabriel said.

"Gabriel, in order to help you protect Sam, there's something you should know. An angel already knows about Sam," Castiel said. He didn't like betraying Jedidiah, but he wanted to help protect Sam and to avoid war. In order for that, Gabriel needed to know of any threat.

"What?" Gabriel asked with an edge in his voice.

"The reason I knew what I did when we first spoke is because one of our brothers eluded to a secret regarding Sam that could destroy everything," Castiel said.

"Who?" Gabriel asked in a commanding tone.

"Jedidiah."

"Jedidiah?! That douchebag is a 'yes man'!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"He hadn't told Michael or Zachariah. He is worried about the end of the word. He's trying to protect everyone. He wouldn't even tell me much," Castiel said. He hoped to at least save Jedidiah's life. He hadn't told anyone. He shouldn't be killed just for his knowledge.

"If Jedidiah stayed quiet, it was for his own benefit, not anyone else's. Sam, I'll be back," Gabriel said before disappearing.

Castiel sighed. He could only pray his brother wouldn't be hastily and kill Jedidiah.

"You're sure your brother hasn't told anyone?" Sam asked. Already they could be looking at the word being screwed over because of him and he didn't want that.

"If he had, you would've been killed by now," Castiel said. Then his phone rang again.

Sam knew it had to be his brother. He was tempted to ask to speak to him, knowing he could probably convince Cas to let him, but he thought of what Gabriel said. Maybe he really should listen if he wanted to stop this from getting ugly. "You should go back to him. He's probably worried."

"I do not know what to tell him," Castiel said. He couldn't tell him anything about what he'd learned. Gabriel was correct when he stated that Dean finding out could lead to Michael finding out.

"You shouldn't tell him you saw me. He won't let up until you take him to me. Just tell him Gabriel wouldn't trust you," Sam advised.

"I don't want to lie to Dean, but it is probably wise. Are you sure I shouldn't stay until Gabriel returns?" Castiel asked.

"No, go back to Dean. I could use time alone anyway,"

"Alright. Goodbye, Sam. I want you to know that I am proud to have you for a nephew. I will see you soon," Castiel said before disappearingThe.


	16. Chapter 16

Dean was calling Castiel again and was getting no answer at all. "Come on, Cas!"

"Dean, give up. He's obviously not gonna pick up while he's dealing with an archangel," Bobby said.

"If he's alive. That bastard may have killed him. He wouldn't be the first archangel to kill him," Dean said. This was just awesome. Now he had Cas along with Sam to worry about.

"I don't think he did," Bobby said as he looked at the suddenly appearing angel.

"How do you…?" Dean trailed off as he turned around and saw Cas. "Dude, where have you been?!"

"With Gabriel," Castiel answered.

"Yeah, I know that. Where were you though? Did you see Sam?" Dean asked, desperate for information on his brother.

"No," Castiel lied uneasily. He did not like lying to Dean.

Bobby frowned. The angel was lying. He was pretty good at it, but Bobby knew a lie when he heard one.

"Gabriel would not trust me. I tried, but it didn't work. He doesn't trust other angels. He doesn't trust me especially because I have been changing loyalties between you and Heaven. He accused me of stabbing your both in the back, though Heaven does not have a back. He said it was a figure of speech," Castiel explained.

Dean slammed his hand down on the table angrily. It wasn't unexpected, but it still pissed him off. "They knew who had his brother and there was still nothing they could do to bring Sam home. It made Dean feel powerless and he hated that feeling.

"I'm sorry, Dean. There is nothing else I can do to bring Sam home," Cas said. That part was at least completely true. He couldn't bring Sam back, as Gabriel would stop him if he even tried, and he wouldn't if he could. Sam was his family too and he wouldn't place him in danger. He also wouldn't even attempt to overrule Gabriel. Gabriel was Sam's father and it was for him to decide what was best.

"Take me to him then? Bring me to where he took you. I'll make him bring Sam back," Dean said. Okay, he knew he wasn't being realistic. He couldn't really force an archangel to do anything, but he didn't really care. He would have the bastard kill him before he gave up on getting Sam back.

"I can't and won't do that. I don't have the location, but I wouldn't do it if I did. Gabriel could kill you without so much as touching you," Castiel tried to impress on him.

"He's right. It won't help Sam if you get killed. Stop acting like an idgit! The usual methods ain't gonna work here," Bobby said.

Dean took a deep breath. "I...I want him back. I'm not gonna leave him with some asshole archangel!"

"I'm sorry, Dean," Castiel said. He really was. He knew that Dean and Sam were very close. He knew Dean was hurting under his anger. What was worse was that Dean would probably never see Sam again, unless it was somewhere within Michael, and then, he'd be watching his own hands trying to harm Sam.

Dean grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house again.

"Is Sam okay? How did he seem when you saw him?" Bobby asked once he was sure Dean was gone. He didn't know why the angel was lying, but he could tell that he didn't enjoy it.

"I told you, I have not seen, Sam," Castiel said.

"Yeah, well, you lied. I know a lie when I hear it. Why'd you lied to Dean?" Bobby asked.

"To protect Sam," Castiel said after a minute.

"Sam don't need to be protected from Dean. What the hell did your asshole brother tell you?" Bobby asked.

"I can't tell you that. I can promise you though that Gabriel will never harm Sam. He's just trying to keep him away from Michael. That's why Dean can never know. He will kill Sam should he learn this information," Castiel said seriously.

"This is about this war thing what's his name told you about, the one involving Sam. You know it all now, don't you?" Bobby asked.

"Yes. I will not tell you. You would be tempted to tell Dean and he can never find this out," Castiel said.

"Sam means a lot to me, Cas," Bobby said.

"I understand that," Castiel said. He knew Bobby meant very much to Sam as well. Castiel believed that was why Gabriel decided to heal him, for all Bobby had done for Sam. "Sam is safe with Gabriel. He's not safe here."

"I watched Gabriel summon a guy with a chainsaw and laugh while we fought him!" Bobby said.

"He never would've let Sam get hurt," Castiel assured him.

"How do you know?" Bobby asked.

"I can't say. Just trust that Sam is safe," he said.

"I don't really have much choice, do I?" Bobby asked before leaving the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel walked through Heaven looking for Jedidiah. He wasn't worried about being sensed. Heaven had a lot of angels at one time and it was a big place. He would only be sensed if they were purposely trying to sense him, and they wouldn't because he had been gone for too long.

Gabriel sensed Jedidiah in one of the Seraph offices. He immediately teleported to him, finding him with Zachariah. "Well, talk about luck."

Both angels turned to him. Jedidiah squeaked as soon as he realized who was in front of him, knowing very well the man was there for him. "G...Gabriel."

"Gabriel? A lot of us figured you were dead," Zachariah said.

Gabriel smiled at Zachariah, but it was by no means a friendly one. He was thinking about everything he was going to do to this piece of garbage for hurting Sam. "A two for one special. I do love those."

Jedidiah took a step back, like ti would somehow protect him from the archangel.

Gabriel snapped his fingers, teleporting them out of Heaven and to the apartment he'd originally taken Castiel. He quickly made sure no one would hear the screaming that would undoubtedly be happening. Then he telekinetically sat Jedidiah down in a chair and made sure he couldn't get up. "I'll be with you in a minute."

"Gabriel, please, I…" Jedidiah was cut off when Gabriel cut off his voice.

"I said, in a minute," Gabriel said before turning his attention to the asshat known as Zachariah.

"What is going on? What are we doing here, Gabriel?" Zachariah asked.

Instead of answering, Gabriel grinned and waved put up his hand, sending Zachariah clear across the apartment. Then he walked over to him. "Zachey, have I ever told you what I thought of you?"

Zacharia tried to get up, but a hand gesture from his brother had collapse right back on the floor.

"I don't remember telling you to get up. Back to what I think of you. You are an arrogant, sadistic little dick. I think you even rival Lucifer and Michael together as far as dicks go, and trust me, they can be real dicks on their own.

"What are you doing?" Zachariah asked.

Gabriel waved his hand, causing Zachariah to gasp for air. "This is what it feels like for a human's lungs to be removed!"

Zachariah's eyes widened as he realized this was about the Winchesters. He couldn't figure out why his brother would care about mud monkeys like the Winchesters though. They were just a couple of humans. Who cared as long as they did what they were told?

"You won't die though because this is just a simulation. You feel the pain of your lungs being ripped from your body, but it's not real. This is real though," Gabriel said before pulling out his archangel blade and sticking it Zachariah's leg, causing the angel to let out a strangled sound.

Zachariah attempted to leave the vessel he was currently in, hoping it would stop it all, but it didn't work. He couldn't leave.

Gabriel chuckled as soon as he realized what his brother was trying to do. "You're not going anywhere, Zachey, until I'm done with you. Of course, when I'm done with you, you'll be dead, but you'll probably welcome that by then. So what now? I guess a little justice for Dean as well. Stomach cancer is what you gave him, right?"

The next thing Zachariah knew, he was holding his stomach in agony.

Gabriel watched for a good fifteen, twenty minutes before he got bored. "Alright, I think I've had enough. I guess I should put you out of your misery. Before I kill you though, I guess I'll tell you why, since I can see you haven't figured it out. Sam Winchester, is my son!"

Zachariah's eyes widened in shock at the information, though he didn't have time to really digest it before the archangel blade was taken from his leg and plunged into his chest.

Gabriel replaced his blade in his jacket and went back to his other brother. "I hope you enjoyed that show. I hope it is incredibly clear what it is I could and will do to you should you try to lie or screw around with me."

Jedidiah nodded vigorously, his eyes wide with terror.

Gabriel waved his hand, allowing the angel to speak once more. "Who have you told?"

"No one," he said immediately.

"See, you're already lying to me. I know you've spoken with Castiel," Gabriel said with a glare.

"But I didn't tell him!" Jedidiah exclaimed quickly. "I haven't told a soul about the abom… Sam Winchester."

Gabriel angrily pulled him up and punched him at full strength, sending him into the wall. "That word ever even partially comes out of your mouth again, all mercy I'm showing you disappears."

"I'm sorry," Jedidiah said immediately.

"How long have you known?" Gabriel asked.

"The whole time. I watched the family periodically on Michael's orders. The boy appeared practically out of nowhere one night. I went to investigate how. It took work, but I sensed his Grace. It was an extension of your own," Jedidiah explained.

Gabriel kicked himself. He should've been more careful. If Jedidiah hadn't been so cowardly, his son might be dead today.

"I never told Michael. I was trying to prevent a war."

"Don't lie to me. You were trying to prevent your own death. You knew if you went after my kid or sent Michael after him that I would kill you first. You're a, 'yes man', Jedidiah, unless it serves you. True, you haven't said anything, and I guess I should be grateful, but I can't let you continue to have this information," Gabriel said.

"Please, brother," Jedidiah begged.

"You may be my brother, but I'd take on the old man if it kept my kid safe. I won't kill you, but I will make sure I've successfully shut you up," Gabriel said before kneeling down and placing a hand to the younger angel's forehead and removing any memories associated with Sam and this whole conversation. He also made sure that they were destroyed. No angel would be able to restore his memory of the matter. Then while the angel was still disorientedor, he sent him back to Heaven


	17. Chapter 17

Bobby walked out into the kitchen and found Dean pacing the floor with his phone pressed to his ear.

"Okay, thanks," Dean said before hanging up.

"Who are you talking to?" Bobby asked.

"I've been calling other hunters. I'm trying to find who who may have crossed paths with a trickster lately or knows how I can find one," Dean said.

"He ain't a trickster, Dean," Bobby reminded him.

"I know, but he's been posing as one. One of them has to know about him and might be able help me find him. It's all I have since Cas is no help," Dean grumbled. He knew it wasn't really Cas' fault, as he had tried, but he felt so helpless and he needed someone to be mad at.

"Dean, I don't think Cas can do anything more to help Sam," Bobby said. He was irritated at the angel for withholding information, but he believed Cas was trying to look out for Sam. That was why Bobby had not betrayed the angel's confidence. He didn't want to risk Sam getting hurt.

Dean merely grunted and started looking on his phone for someone else to call.

"Dean, even if you find a hunter who's come across a trickster, it still ain't likely that he'll lead you to Gabriel, or even that another trickster will. This ain't trickster business, it's angel business, which probably means he's gonna hide with Sam," Bobby said. He didn't understand anything about what was going on and what Gabriel wanted with Sam, but he did know that Cas thought it would bring an angel war. It had to do with more angels. "And even if you miraculously did find him, what would you do? He's a freaking archangel."

"Then I'll go to Michael," Dean said. He was at the point where he would say 'yes' if it meant he could find Sam.

"The hell you will!" Bobby yelled as he grabbed his arm forcing him to look at him. "You little, idjit! You ain't giving in to that SOB!"

Dean wrenched his arm free. "I will if he brings Sam back. I'm bringing my brother home, Bobby. I don't care what I have to do. It's my job to look out for him."

"How is you letting an angel take your skin over gonna help your brother? Even if Michael keeps up his end, you won't get Sam back because you'll be gone, and then Michael will have Sam. Let's not forget that you promised your brother you wouldn't say yes," Bobby said. He also had Cas in his head, who'd already told him that Michael would likely kill Sam, regardless of whether or not the devil was in him or not. All in all, Michael being near Sam was bad.

"Dreams don't count. Besides, all promises go out the window when my brother's in trouble," Dean said.

"Apparently sense does too, but you make up for both with stupid! This ain't in anybody's best interest, Dean. It might end up getting Sam killed," Bobby warned.

"I have to do something, Bobby! I can't leave my brother with that douchebag angel!" Dean yelled before collapsing into a chair.

Bobby sat down across from him. "Dean, I know that you're scared and you get more so every day, but you gotta start using your God damned brain! Teaming up with an angel who wants to use your body to start the end of the world ain't gonna help."

"Then what will? I'm doing everything I can and I know it's all useless. You're right and so was Cas. I've got no power over Gabriel even if I do find him. I'll do my best to end the bastard, but I'll fail. He probably won't even bother killing me. He'll just laugh in my face at any attempt I make," Dean said. He'd been trying to tell himself that he could stop Gabriel, but even when he was saying it, he knew he was lying to himself. He would find it almost impossible to take out a regular angel, let alone an archangel. "I can't help my brother. I've failed him."

"Dean, Sam told you he was okay," Bobby tried to reassure him.

"Come on, Bobby, we both know Sam would lie about that if he had to. He knew how worried I was. He would lie to make me feel better, especially if he thought there was nothing I could do for him," Dean said.

"Cas doesn't think Gabriel would hurt him," Bobby said. He wanted to tell Dean everything that he and Cas had spoke about, including that Cas had seen Sam, but he didn't want to put Sam in danger, and Cas believed that Dean knowing would.

"Cas can be naive, Bobby. I know how Gabriel operates. He likes to mess with people. He freaking killed me hundreds of times just to teach Sam a lesson. That always freaking bugged me. I never got why he did that. What did he get out of screwing with Sam like that, except maybe a laugh or two. It always made me uneasy, like he was obsessed with Sam or something.

"Well, according to Cas and that other angel, we know Gabriel knows something about Sam that we don't," Bobby said.

Dean nodded and thought about the dream walk. That made him uneasy too. He kept trying not to think about it, telling himself that figuring out how to get Sam back was more important, but he couldn't help it. Sam shouldn't be able to dream walk anymore than he should've been able to exorcise and kill demons with his hands. That hadn't worked out well at all. The dream walking probably wouldn't either. "What do you think of this new gift of his?"

"I don't know. Cas says it ain't the demon blood though," Bobby said.

"I gotta find him, Bobby. I gotta get him back and figure out what the hell is going on with him," Dean said.

"Well, you're not doing it the way you've been thinking. You need control over yourself to figure any of this out," Bobby said.

"You're right," Dean conceded. It wasn't smart to hand himself over to Michael. It wouldn't help Sam at all, as Dean would no longer be himself. "I'm gonna go for a ride. I need some air."

Bobby nodded, satisfied that the younger man had seen sense finally.

Dean got up, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for the door. Once outside, he headed for the Impala in the driveway. He got in and started the car.

"Hi, Dean."

A startled Dean jumped and turned to his right. He found a guy there were dirty blond hair. Dean immediately went for the knife.

"That won't work on me," the man said before Dean could even get the knife out.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean asked with a hand on his knife.

He frowned. "I'm disappointed that you don't already know. Sam didn't even describe me to you? Well,, I suppose my appearance can be quite common in humans."

"What do you know about my brother?" Dean demanded to know.

"Everything. I made it a point since I will one day be him."

Dean realized immediately what that last statement meant. He didn't know how the bastard had found him, but he was talking to the freaking devil.


	18. Chapter 18

Dean could do nothing but sit there for a minute. The freaking devil was in his car. True, he'd sort of met the devil before when Zachariah zapped him to the future. Well, maybe it was the future. Cas had mentioned to him days later that it might have been some alternate reality. But this was different. For one, the dude was sitting in his car, smiling like they were old friends.

"Nothing to say, Dean? Don't you wonder how I found you?" Lucifer asked.

"No, I know how you found me. Bobby's prayer," Dean finally spoke. Cas had said that Bobby praying had been a risk, but they hoped no one would notice. Clearly, Lucifer had, though Dean wasn't sure why it had taken him days to get to him.

Lucifer smiled. "Well, Sam may be smarter, but you have some brains there too, for a mud monkey anyway. Yes, I heard the prayer. I must say, I never expected your friend to call for Gabriel. No one's seen Gabriel since about as long as they'd seen me before I got out. Anyway, I decided to wait to come because I didn't need the attention. While archangels have the power to mask themselves from lower angels, archangels are different. We have a whole lot more power. I didn't wanna take the risk Little brother would actually come."

"What do you want?" Dean demanded to know.

"What you want. To find Sam," Lucifter said.

Dean stiffened a bit, not liking that Lucifer seemed to know Sam was missing. "I don't need to find him. I know where he is. He's on a job by himself."

Lucifer gave Dean a reproachful look. "Now, Dean, I have not lied to you so far, shouldn't you show me the same courtesy? We both know Sam has been missing for over a week now. I've been watching you for the last day or so. I know he's gone and I know Gabriel has him, though it baffles me, and irritates me a bit. Gabriel's never involved himself in my and Michael's fights before. Well, other than to try to get us to stop. He never liked the fighting. It always hurt him to see us rip each other a part."

"I'd feel sorry for him if he weren't such a dick," Dean said.

"Watch your mouth, you little ant! That's my baby brother you're talking about!" Lucifer said icily. He might be a little peeved and annoyed at Gabriel right now, but he was still his little brother.

Dean didn't let it show, but he had a touch of concern for himself with the devil's words and the tone he used when he said them. It might be best if he didn't piss Lucifer off right now, as he still had no idea how to stop him yet.

"I think we should move this conversation back to Sam and away from Gabriel before I have to kill you before Michael can take control," Lucifer said.

"No. Sam has nothing to do with you," Dean said with a glare.

"I'm afraid he does," Lucifer said with a smirk.

"He'll never say yes!" Dean growled.

"He will. You will too. It's just the way it will happen," Lucifer said.

"No," was all Dean said.

Lucifer chuckled. "I can see my brother in you, Dean. He is stubborn as well. Although, he is accepting in what he sees as fate. It probably helps though that the old man predicted it. In his mind, Dad couldn't possibly be wrong about anything."

Dean couldn't help the wince that left him. He didn't want have anything in common with Michael, but it seemed he did. The devil's last comment on his brother and father described Dean and his father. For years, he blindly accepted anything that his father said. He even noted to Sam on occasion that that was what being a good son meant. Of course, know he thought differently. He was well aware that his father had been very flawed in life. He took comfort in that because it meant he wasn't totally like the head dick archangel. "I will never say yes and neither will Sam."

"He will, though that's not important now. He needs to be found. Don't get me wrong, whether he's here with you or with Gabriel, he'll still say yes, but I don't like it when people take my things, especially my brothers. It's very irritating," Lucifer said.

"Sam, isn't yours!" Dean exploded.

Lucifer rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, Dean, let's stop arguing. It's not going to bring Sam back. Let's get a plan together."

"I don't need your help," Dean said immediately. If he wasn't teaming up with Michael, there was no way in hell he was teaming up with the freaking devil!"

"Don't you? Like I said, I've been watching you for the last day or so. You're out of options. You have no one that can help you find Gabriel. Your choices are me or Michael. I'm sure you think Michael would be the better option, but he'd insist you say yes in exchange," Lucifer informed him.

"As opposed to you who will kidnap him yourself and try to coerce him into saying yes," Dean said.

"Now why would I need to do that? I have complete faith that Sam will come around all on his own," he said.

"Then what do you care if we find him?" Dean asked.

"I told you, I don't like it when my brothers try to take my things. Also, I'm curious to find out what Gabriel thinks he has up his sleeve," Lucifer said. He also wanted to know why Dean thought Sam had dream walked him. He'd heard about that and it shouldn't be possible. No human had that ability. Lucifer wouldn't admit it, but the fact that Dean at least believed Sam did left him uneasy. He'd tried to visit Sam in his dreams, but his brother had managed to protect the human's dreams.

Dean thought about it for a minute. He didn't really have any other option to find Sam, but he didn't want to trust the devil. He shook his head as soon as that thought entered his brain. No, he would not trust the devil. He couldn't believe he even thought about this for a second. "No."

Lucifer sighed dramatically. "Let's be honest here, Dean. We both know I don't really need you to find Sam. I mean, what good is a simple human gonna be in finding an archangel who has perfected hiding."

"Then why ask me to help?" Dean asked.

"I'm worried the place will be protected against angels," Lucifer said.

"How would he be able to do that if he's an angel?" Dean asked.

"That question is way beyond your ape brain. He can keep any angel out if he chooses unless transported by him," Lucifer said.

"So it looks like you do need me to agree," Dean said.

Lucifer chuckled. "I need you about as much as I need any other human. The truth is, I'm pretty much expecting you to get killed the second you get in there, but that amount of power would undoubtedly weaken the angel wards Gabriel set up."

Dean did nothing but glare at Lucifer.

"Oh, don't give me that look. Michael will just bring you back, so it's no big deal if you die," Lucifer said nonchalantly.

"And that leaves you with my brother. No freaking way," Dean said immediately.

"Okay, Dean, I'm going to work on finding Gabriel. I'm sure the Pagans he hangs around with will be helpful with a little pursuation. You can think about it in the meantime. I'm sure you'll change your mind by then," Lucifer said before teleporting.

Dean sighed and started pulling out of the driveway. He still needed to go for a drive, especially now.


	19. Chapter 19

Sam was in the kitchen making breakfast. Usually he just ate whatever Gabriel snapped up, but he'd woken up quite early and decided to do it himself. He'd learned to cook while he was at Stanford, though he never used the ability very often obviously. He believed he was pretty good at it. Jess never complained when he cooked for her and he'd always enjoyed his own cooking.

Just then, Gabriel appeared in the room. He'd been out speaking with Castiel, trying to find out if there was any reason to fear any of their other brothers coming after him. So far it was fine. "You didn't have to do that."

Sam turned to him slightly startled, but somehow he managed not to jump this time. "I really wish you'd stop that! I know I don't have to, but I was bored and I liked cooking occasionally when I was able to."

"So since I didn't have to drag you out to eat, can I take it you're not pissed at me anymore?" Gabriel asked. Sam had taken to holing himself back up in his bedroom since the night Castiel came and went and Gabriel had to explain what would happen if anyone found out what Sam was.

Sam flipped the pancakes. "I was never pissed at you. Well, no more so than before you told me a war was going to break out over me."

"It's not what I want, Sam," Gabriel told him. He didn't want to fight his brothers. He didn't want to have to either fight or die fighting Michael. He always hated the fighting and now he might be the one to start it. If he didn't hate it so much, he'd laugh at how ironic that was. But Sam was his son and as long as Gabriel was alive, no one would hurt him.

"I know, I just don't wanna be the cause of the end of the world," Sam said. He was already the cause of one apocalypse. He didn't want to be the cause of an even bigger one. That was why he wanted time alone. He was trying to deal with it and he was failing terribly.

"You're not the cause. A rule that never should've existed is the cause," Gabriel said. Like Castiel, he'd never questioned that rule before Sam. HIs father had outlawed such a being and though he didn't always understand the laws his father made, he didn't question them. He believed there must be a reason. But Sam was a deal breaker. There was no reason Gabriel would ever accept for his own son to be killed.

After he finished cooking them, Sam divided the pancakes onto two plates and poured syrup all over them before grabbing silverware and holding a plate out for Gabriel.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes in a mock glare, attempting to lighten the mood. "You better not be trying to poison me."

Sam snorted. "Like it would work.

Gabriel took the plate and headed to the table. Sam did the same with his own and they both sat down across from each other and began eating.

"There's nothing I can do to get you not to do it if comes to fighting, is there? I can't convince you to just let me go, can I?" Sam asked.

"Absolutely not!" Gabriel said with a slight growl to his vice. He didn't understand how his son could ever think he could just let him get killed. Did Winchester damage his kid so much that he didn't understand what a parent was willing to give to protect their children?

"I'm not worth this, Gabriel," Sam said. No one person was worth ending the world for for, especially him. He'd screwed up too many times to deserve this.

"Oh, I swear, if I ever get back to Heaven, I am kicking John Winchester's ass!" Gabriel said angrily. Either the way the bastard treated him caused a massive loss of self-worth or the dead hunter taught Sam to hate everything supernatural so much that he felt he didn't even deserve to be alive.

"Why? It's not his fault," Sam said confused. He knew Gabriel hated his dad. He'd made that so clear. A part of Sam appreciated where that came from while the other part of him had the urge to defend the man who raised him.

"No? His hatred of anything that's not human has nothing to do with you seeing yourself so poorly?" Gabriel asked. He knew part of it was also the way his brothers saw what Sam was, but a large part of it was how he was raised.

"Well, maybe," Sam conceded. He was almost positive that if his dad lived to find out what he was, he'd kill him or at least toss him out. The man had already been willing to consider the possibility have having to kill him over the demon blood, and he still believed him human then. It really hurt, but he knew how the man who raised him would react to him. "But he doesn't really have anything to do with what I"m saying now. "No one person should come before the rest of the world."

"Really? Would you sacrifice Dean if it meant saving the world?" Gabriel asked already knowing the answer. He knew exactly how it would go down if Dean was the one at stake here. He'd seen first hand how desperate his son was to save Dean in that time loop.

Sam was taken aback by the question. He couldn't answer. Well, he could, but not the way he should. The truth was that he would give anything to save Dean if he had to. So he supposed there was someone worth the world to him.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at his son's lack of response. "Have I made my point?"

Sam sighed. "Yeah. But I still don't want you to do this. I don't even see the point. It's you and Cas against an army of angels. You won't be able to save me if it comes down to a fight. You'll be ending the world for nothing."

Gabriel leaned forward and looked his son directly in the eye. "I will not sit by and watch son die. If they want to do that, they will have to take me down first. I have always protected you with everything I have. I will do it until they kill me.

Sam knew there was nothing he could do to stop Gabriel, and he was ninety percent sure that a fight was unavoidable, so the old phrase, 'if you can't beat them, join them' went through his brain. "Then let me help."

"What?" Gabriel asked taken aback.

"Help me figure out what kind of powers I have and how to control them so that I can be of some use when I need to," Sam said. He couldn't believe he was saying this because he was terrified of what he was and what he could do, but he didn't want to be defenseless.

"No. You want my help in controlling your powers, find, but you're not fighting," Gabriel said firmly.

"I can't just let you and Cas die for me without at least attempting to fight back myself," Sam said.

"You can and you will," he said before taking a bite of his food.

Sam huffed and was about to get up when Gabriel stopped him.

"Do not move!" Gabriel ordered. He waited a few seconds before speaking again. "What do you think it will mean if I have to fight Michael?"

Sam looked at him confused. He really didn't understand what Gabriel was implying.

"It means that Michael will have in all likelihood taken his vessel," Gabriel said. Michael could take a less compatible one like Lucifer had, but he wouldn't do if he came to fight. He wouldn't be as strong.

Gabriel's words sunk in and realization hit Sam. "Dean."

"Yeah. You think you can fight your brother. You think you have it in you to kill him. I don't and I'm not going to put you in the position," Gabriel said firmly.

"But you will. If Michael take Dean, you'll try to kill him!" Sam exclaimed. All worry about the world was gone. Now he was afraid for Dean's life.

"If Michael takes him and tries to fight me, yes. I don't wanna hurt Dean because I know what he means to you, but if it's you or him then, yes, I'll go after him in a heartbeat," Gabriel said honestly.

"You can't!" Sam yelled.

"Calm down. We're very far from that point. Look, you had faith that Dean would continue to say no. If you're right, you have nothing to worry about," Gabriel assured him.

"I'll never forgive you," Sam said. If Gabriel killed Dean, he would hate him forever. Dean meant everything to him, certainly more than the father he barely knew. Even if Dean turned on him for what he was, Sam would still love him.

Gabriel sighed. "I know."


	20. Chapter 20

Sam was woken up the next morning by Gabriel's voice and the archangel shaking him.

"Come on, Sammy, time to get up. No sleeping the day away," Gabriel said

Sam groaned as began to stir. "Go away."

"Nope! Get up," Gabriel said happily.

"What do you want?" Sam asked irritated.

"I want you to get up and get dressed. We have things to do," Gabriel said.

"Like what?" Sam asked. They never had anything to do. They never left the house. It was kind of the point of hiding out, or in Sam's case, being forced to hide out.

"You'll see. I want you up and dressed in the next ten minutes or I'm coming back and giving you an ice water shower," Gabriel warned.

"I hate you," Sam grumbled. There was no real malice in his voice though, just annoyance.

Gabriel laughed. "Oh, Sammy, the day's just started. You're gonna hate me a lot more when it's over. Now come on, get up. Oh, do yourself a favor and put something comfortable on."

Sam watched him leave and started to get up. He went to the dresser and pulled out some clothes, grumbling the whole time about 'jackass angels'. He quickly changed into a pair of baggy workout pants and a gray V-neck short sleeve shirt. Then he left the room to meet said jackass angel.

Sam found Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table waiting. "What time is it?"

"Just before eight. Eat," Gabriel urged motioning towards the bowl of fresh fruit and coffee that was waiting in Sam's usual spot.

Sam sat. "You choose the one day I can actually sleep in to start a wake-up call."

"Method to my madness. We're going out," Gabriel said.

"Really?" Sam asked surprised. Gabriel had basically told him they weren't leaving the house until the apocalypse was over. "What about other angels?"

"Not an issue. We'll be safe," Gabriel said.

"And you're not afraid I'll take off on you?" Sam asked. He really had no intention of it because he had been made aware of how grave things were. He had no desire to put the world and especially Dean at risk. But he was curious as to how Gabriel was so sure.

"Nope, for three reasons. One, I think I've gotten it into your head that doing so would be stupid, two, I'd find you in like two seconds, and three, where we're going, it isn't exactly easy to leave without me letting you," Gabriel said.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Well, where we're going isn't exactly in this world. It's one my own alternate realities. That's why the angel thing isn't really an issue. It's my world and I've set up heavy wards to protect it from angels, just as I have with this place," Gabriel said. It wasn't impossible for angles to get through of course, but they would have to figure out that he'd created one first. Plus, like he said, he'd set up angel wards.

Somehow, Sam wasn't surprised that Gabriel could create his own alternate realities. The guy had created a time loop, and that was when Sam thought he was just a trickster. "Wait, if you can do that, why don't we just hide there, with Dean too. Wouldn't that end all of this?"

"No, because it's not foolproof, Sam. In fact, it would be easier for my brothers to get in there than here. Creating alternate realities takes a lot of power. With that much power already in play, the wards I placed around it are weaker?" Gabriel explained.

"Wait, if there are wards around this place, how did Cas get in?" Sam wondered.

"I transported him. He was keyed into my teleportation. That's the only way anyone will get in unless they break down the virtual force field I've set up, which is possible for an archangel, but still hard and I'd know of the attempt," he said.

Sam nodded that he understood. "So why are we going to your fake reality?"

"Oh, you'll see. You won't like it much either," Gabriel said.

Sam snorted. "Well, you certainly don't sugar coat things."

Gabriel laughed. "Eat up."

Sam quickly began eating his fruit. "You're seriously not going to tell me?"

Gabriel smiled. "I like surprises."

"I don't. Especially ones that I've been warned I won't like," Sam said.

"Well, you did ask for this," Gabriel said.

Sam was going to ask what he meant, but decided against it. Gabriel would probably just be vague again. "Alright, I'm done.

Gabriel nodded snapped his fingers.

The next thing Sam knew, they were both standing upright in a large, empty Gym. "What's this?"

"You wanted me to show you how to harness your powers, so we're gonna start with your strength," Gabriel said.

"What's the point? You already said you won't let me fight," Sam reminded him. He wasn't even upset about that anymore, since no part of him wanted to fight Dean. He was more upset about the fact that Gabriel admitted he would fight Dean if Michael took him.

"Yeah, and I'm still gonna do my best to keep you out of it, but I've realized that if you get attacked, you'll need to defend yourself. Besides, you still need to know what your powers are and how to use them," Gabriel explained.

Sam hesitated. Yesterday, he'd wanted to do this, but now that it was happening, he was scared. He had no idea what he was capable of with these powers. He'd seen what an angel could do and he was an angel's son. What kind of power might he have and how would he eventually use it. He'd like to think that he'd make the right choices, but he thought he would on the demon blood and he failed miserably.

"I know that look. Stop it!" Gabriel said in a firm tone.

"But what if it's like it was when I was on demon blood," Sam asked.

"It's not. These powers are yours, they're not the product of something that was done to you. You have to start accepting what you are, Sam. The fact of the matter is, you are part angel. That's not gonna change," Gabriel said.

"I have accepted it. I'm just afraid of what it means," Sam said, shifting uncomfortably.

Gabriel sighed. "You know, I will get it through your head that being what you are isn't wrong. Hopefully, learning your powers will help with that. Now, we're going to spar."

"You'll kick my ass," Sam said. He was by no means under the impression he could beat Gabriel. He was an archangel, one of the most powerful beings in existence.

"I'm not going to use full strength. I'll use human strength. And…" Gabriel trailed off as he produced a table with some hand and headgear and a bunch of water bottles.

Sam grabbed a set of gloves and the head protection and put them on.

Gabriel also put on the gloves as extra protection for Sam. "Like I said, I won't go at full strength, but I will still be hard on you. You will use full strength. Send it all to me."

"What if I don't have angel strength?" Sam asked.

"You do. The night I pulled you out of Dean's head, you shoved me. I felt it just a tiny bit. You have the strength. You just need to work on it," Gabriel said before leading the way to the center of the room. "If you find yourself getting to your limit and need to stop, tell me."

"Okay," Sam said.

"When I say that, I don't mean when you're ready to drop. I don't want you to push yourself until you're about to pass out," Gabriel said firmly.

"Got it," Sam said.

"Okay, let's go," Gabriel said.

Sam charged forward and threw a punch at Gabriel's face.

Gabriel let the blow hit him, as he wanted to see exactly how hard it was. It wasn't at all. He had a feeling it was because Sam was holding back. "I said full strength, Sam."

"I am," Sam lied. It was true, he was holding back a bit.

"Bull! You can hit harder than that even as a human. Go again, no holding back," Gabriel ordered.

Sam hit him again harder, but still not at his full strength.

Once Sam hit him, again, not at full strength, Gabriel began fighting back. It seemed if he wanted Sam to give him everything, he was going to have to make him. He grabbed Sam's wrist and then sent his own punch at human strength.

Sam stumbled back at the blow. It didn't hurt a whole lot thanks to the gloves Gabriel was wearing and the fact that he was holding back, but he did feel it.

Gabriel watched as Sam advanced on him again. He shoved him just as he was about to throw a punch and he fell to the ground on one of the mats. "Come on, Sam, we both know you can do better than this. Enough living in fear! Let's go!"

Sam got up and charged quickly, punching Gabriel hard in the face.

"There we go," Gabriel said. The kid was still holding back a tad, but they were finally getting somewhere.

Sam swung again, but found his wrist seized and pushed to the ground once again. Adrenaline was pumping now and he was no longer concerned with holding back.

Gabriel felt Sam's next punch and was secretly proud. Sam was letting loose his strength. Of course, Gabriel didn't let on though because he didn't want Sam to start holding back again.

The two continued to go back in forth for a while before Sam started panting.

"Alright, we're taking a break. Grab some water," Gabriel instructed.

Sam nodded, took his gloves off, and went and grabbed a bottle of water from the table. He then walked back over and collapsed in a chair that Gabriel had just conjured up.

"Tell me, did you just start to get tired?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah. I could've gone a bit longer, but I'm not complaining that we stopped," Sam said before downing the bottle of water pretty much all at once.

Gabriel nodded. Sam's endurance was also strengthening. They'd been going for over an hour without a break. That was more than a human should be able to go.

Sam sat for a few more minutes before getting up. "I can go again."

Gabriel got up and vanished the chairs. "Let's go."


	21. Chapter 21

Castiel appeared in front of Bobby. He'd come to see how Dean was coping without Sam, however, he found it hard to face Dean while he was lying to him, so he chose to speak with Bobby instead.

Bobby jumped at the sudden appearance and then huffed in annoyance. "Would it kill you to walk through the front door."

"No," Castiel said seriously. "I am an angel. There are very few things that can kill me."

Bobby rolled his eyes and quickly changed the subject. "Where have you been anyway?"

"I have been searching for God," Castiel said. He found it even more pertinent for him to find his father now. It might be the only way save Sam and avoid a war should MIchael find out about Sam. While God had made the nephilim law, Castiel had to believe he'd changed his mind. While Gabriel had been able to hide his son from angels, surely he hadn't been able to do so from their father. He had to know Sam existed and allowed him to live.

"Yeah, of course, since you're no longer worried about Sam. This is all peachy to you," Bobby said annoyed.

"I do not understand what a fruit has to do with anything, but Sam is fine," Castiel assured him.

"If that's true, only you know it. I've only got your trust in your asshole brother to back that up, and Dean doesn't even have that because you ain't being straightforward with him," Bobby said.

"I told you, I cannot tell Dean. Should MIchael find out anything regarding Sam, it could place him in danger," Castiel said.

Bobby sighed. He couldn't even assure Castiel that Dean wouldn't say yes to Michael because just a couple of days ago, he was contemplating doing just that. "Fine, tell me everything then. Why did your brother kidnap Sam?"

"I can't tell you. Even you knowing could be risky, and even if it weren't, it is not my place," Castiel said. "Besides, do you really wish to keep more from Dean?"

Bobby had to admit that the angel had a good point with his last question. He felt horrible hiding what little he did know from Dean. He was now a part of the younger man's agony. It would only be worse the more he knew. The only thing that kept him from telling Dean everything that he knew was that it might get Sam killed. He could never live with that and he knew that if it was because of Dean's knowledge that something happened to Sam, Dean would never forgive himself. "I'm worried about what Dean is thinking right now. He's been quiet the last day or two. Dean, ain't quiet, especially when something like this happens."

"You believe he'll make a reckless choice?" Castiel asked.

"The other day, he was thinking of saying yes to Michael in exchange for him bringing Sam back," Bobby told him.

Castiel was unsettled by the information. He didn't consider that Dean might say yes in exchange for Sam. He should have. Dean had always made it clear that every loyalty he had lied with Sam. He would do anything to protect him. Unfortunately, Dean's actions would have the opposite effect. "That can't be allowed to happen."

"I talked him out of it. I told him it wouldn't do any good, as he wouldn't really be getting Sam back and might be trading one archangel kidnapper for another. He accepted that for now, but Dean don't do well when he's desperate. There's a good chance he might convince himself that it's worth the risk or he'll do something else that's equally as stupid," Bobby said.

"Dean's knowledge of Gabriel is already too much. If he succumbs to Michael, that knowledge will be available to Michael. He will seek Gabriel out and Sam's life will be in danger," Castiel said. He needed to speak with Dean. He needed to ascertain that Dean would never say yes. "Where is Dean?"

"He's on a job. I convinced him to go to try to get his mind off of things. It was a simple haunting in Nebraska. He should be back tonight or tomorrow," Bobby said.

"When he comes back tell him I wish to speak with him. In the meantime, I need to inform Gabriel," Castiel said before disappearing.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel stood in deserted park not far from Bobby Singer's home waiting for his brother. He'd called Gabriel and asked to meet him. Gabriel needed to know that Dean may be on the verge of saying yes to Michael.

Gabriel appeared seconds later in front of his younger brother. "What do you need, little bro?"

"We have a problem. Dean is getting reckless," Castiel said.

"Getting? Dean has always been reckless," Gabriel said with a snort. He'd watched Dean almost as much as Sam, since Sam was rarely without Dean. He knew the young hunter very well.

"He is considering saying yes to Michael," Castiel said.

Any trace of humor was gone. Now Gabriel was concerned, both for Sam's safety and for the fact that he might have to take Sam's brother away from him indefinitely should Dean say yes. "He told you he was going to say yes?"

"No. Bobby Singer informed me that he had to talk Dean out of it. Dean had contemplated it in exchange for Michael bringing Sam home," Castiel said.

"Where is he? He still with Singer?" Gabriel asked. He needed to stop Dean from saying yes. A part of him felt it was unavoidable, that was the part of him that had been taught Destiny was unavoidable, but he'd already put a wrench in destiny once, so why not go for it again, and even if he couldn't stop it forever, he wanted to at least delay it as long as he could.

"Bobby says he was able to get through to Dean. I will speak to him and make sure he doesn't do it," Castiel assured his brother.

"No, you won't. Tell me where he is, Castiel," Gabriel demanded. "Is he still at Singer's."

"What will you do?" Castiel asked cautiously.

Gabriel wasn't actually sure what he would do yet, just that he needed to handle Dean now before he could get to Michael. "Protect my son. Dean will live as long as he doesn't say yes. That's the only guarantee you get."

"Dean is my friend, Gabriel. I cannot betray him," Castiel told him.

"And Sam is your family. Choose!" Gabriel said coldly. His patience was gone. His son was in possible danger and his brother seemed to be hesitant to help protect him because he didn't want Dean mad at him.

Castiel flinched slightly at his brother's tone. The archangel's power had practically vibrated as he spoke, much like it always did with MIchael or Raphael. "I don't know where he is at this precise moment anyway. He took a hunt elsewhere."

"Find out and get back to me," was all Gabriel said before disappearing.


	22. Chapter 22

Gabriel went home after his conversation with Castiel. He was livid. He was at the point where he was ready to smite someone, namely a blonde haired, green eyed Winchester. The little muttonhead was going to get his son killed if someone didn't stop him. He knew Dean would be rash and do stupid things when he was desperate, but going to Michael was beyond stupid. True, Dean didn't know everything, but he knew MIchael gave the order to start the apocalypse. That alone should be enough of a reason not to trust him.

Sam, who'd been watching a movie from the couch when Gabriel came in looked over at him. He looked pissed and was muttering things like 'idiot' and 'ring his neck' "You okay?"

"Fine!" Gabriel snapped as he plopped down in the recliner.

"Yeah, I believe that," Sam said sarcastically. "What happened? You were going to meet Cas when you left. What did he say?"

"Your brother's an idiot!" Gabriel fumed.

"What happened? Is Dean hurt?" Sam asked concerned.

"He might be by the time I'm done with him! Apparently the muttonhead had the insanely stupid idea of saying yes to Michael in exchange for getting you back."

Sam's eyes went wide and his stomach dropped in fear. "Dean said yes to Michael?!"

"No, he didn't," Gabriel assured his son right away, kicking himself for not being more clear off the bat. "He was stopped by Bobby who apparently does have some brain activity in his head. But if Dean was stupid enough to think about it once, he probably will again, or do something even more stupid."

Sam sighed. Gabriel was probably right. Dean most likely felt pretty helpless right now and he didn't do well with that. He was probably worried and angry and he always acted rashly with that combination of emotions. "What will you do?"

"I haven't decided yet. I won't hurt him," Gabriel promised. Oh, he wanted to at least beat a bit of sense into the moron, but he wouldn't. He still wasn't sure what to do. He had ideas, but none of them were foolproof.

"Maybe you should bring him here," Sam said after a minute.

Gabriel gave his son an exasperated look. "Really? We're really going to have this conversation again?"

"No, I'm not saying it because I want to see him," Sam said. Of course he did want to see Dean, but he did understand Gabriel's point, and honestly, while he wanted to see Dean, he wasn't sure he was ready to. He didn't want to face him knowing what he was and wasn't. He wasn't ready for the possible rejection. "Look, you're worried Dean will do something stupid. Honestly, so am I. The best way to make sure he doesn't is to keep an eye on him."

"I can't have him around you. If Michael gets to him, that means he gets to you," Gabriel said.

"But you said this place was protected from angels," Sam argued.

"I also said there was no guarantee it would stay protected. Michael could fight through them," Gabriel said.

"Right, but he wouldn't be able to find Dean here. There's your protection and the sigil carved in his ribs. The only way Michael would be able to get to him is if he called for him. He'd have no reason to do that if he's here. Right now, he's thinking about it for me, but he'll have me if he's here. There won't be a reason for him to call," he said

Gabriel shook his head. "No, it's still a risk, and if he says yes, you'll be right there for Michael to go after. If you're separated and the worst happens, I'll at least have time to figure out the next move."

"But we can stop the worst from happening. Hide Dean here. Michael will have no idea. Yes, it's a risk, but won't there always be one?" Sam asked.

Gabriel sighed. Sam had a point there. Everything he could think of to neutralize Dean had a risk. That was why he couldn't decide what to do. There was just no way to guarantee his son's protection. This idea of Sam's had its pros and it was the most effective way he had of keeping Dean on a leash, but he wasn't sure the pros outweighed the cons.

Before Gabriel could contemplate any further, his phone rang. He checked to see who it was and then answered it. "Castiel, you better be calling because you have an answer for me."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean walked from his car to his motel room. He'd just finished salting and burning a dude who'd killed four people. It had been pretty easy as far as hunts went. He was glad he took the job. While it was easy, it helped him get his mind off Sam for a little while.

Of course, the situation with his brother was never completely out of his mind and now he'd need to get back on it. Though he wasn't sure what he was going to do. There had been no leads, unless you count the devil.

Dean hated to admit it, but thoughts of working with the devil creeped up on him frequently. He knew it was a horrible idea. He knew it every time he contemplated it. It was probably the worst idea that he'd ever had. But it was quickly seeming like his only option. Well, there was Michael, but Bobby and Lucifer were both right about how that would end. It wouldn't be good for him and probably not for Sam either.

Dean walked into his hotel room and turned the light on. He stopped right in the doorway when he saw the devil lazily lounging on his bed.

"Well, you're finally back. It took long enough," Lucifer said.

"How the hell did you find me this time?" Dean asked before walking further inside and closing the door behind him.

"I had to do it the human way, which was very annoying. I knew you had to have taken a job, so I looked for supernatural activity nearby your friend's home. Well, actually, I had a demon do it, but it was still annoying to have to wait. Then we checked seedy motels for your description and got ahold of the room number. You could've saved me a lot of work by just staying put," Lucifer said slightly annoyed.

"I'll give you an itinerary next time," Dean said sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"Why do humans ask questions they already know the answer to?" Lucifer asked before pulling himself up and off the bed. "You know what I want. It's time for us go take Sam back."

"I told you, I'm not working with you," Dean said. There was no conviction in his voice though.

Lucifer sighed dramatically. "I don't have time to indulge the games you're playing with yourself. You will help because you have no other options. You're a useless human who couldn't possibly hope to stand against an archangel, even if you could manage to find him.

"Cas is working on it. He'll find Sam," Dean said. He knew it wasn't true though. Cas had done everything he could, but he was almost as useless as Dean at stopping Gabriel. The only one with any hope was another archangel.

Lucifer laughed at his expense. "I won't even bother with the argument that Castiel wasn't a match for Gabriel at full power, let alone half-fallen, since it's irrelevant. Castiel has _chosen_ not to help you." He'd showed up at Bobby Singer's awhile ago while Castiel was there, making sure to mask his Grace of course. He'd heard them. He had to admit, a lot of what was said confused him, like Michael supposedly wanting Sam dead before he could even be taken as a vessel. Of course, that could've just been a lie Gabriel told Castiel to play games with him. It wouldn't be the first time. Gabriel enjoyed screwing with others, especially his siblings.

"What does that mean?" Dean demanded to know.

"Castiel lied to you, Dean. He's not trying to help you find Sam. He's trying to keep you away from Sam. He knows where he is. He's seen him," Lucifer said with a smirk.

"You're lying?" Dean said immediately. He would not even entertain the idea that Cas had betrayed him, especially not coming from the devil. Cas would never help keep Sam from him.

"I don't lie," was all Lucifer said.

Dean snorted. "Oh, so the devil has some morals?"

"What do morals have to do with anything? I don't lie because it is pointless and unnecessary. I don't need to lie to get what I want, especially now. You decided to help me before I showed up here. You're simply trying to fool yourself because it feels wrong to you. You have no other option, Dean. So just agree already," Lucifer said.

Dean knew he was right. He had already decided to do it because he didn't have another choice, except for Michael,, and that was no better. Lucifer was his only option. He was going to say yes to the devil, and yeah, he could appreciate the irony there. He'd been afraid Sam would eventually do so and he would do it first. True, he wasn't saying yes to being his vessel, but he was succumbing just the same. "Alright, but if you screw me over and try to take Sam, I'll kill you!"

Lucifer laughed at the threat. "So, I managed to get the location of an apartment Gabriel has been using to do his Pagan work. I will never understand why he'd lower himself to that."

"Would he really be stupid enough to hole up there with Sam if others know about it?" Dean asked. He'd love it if the bastard was that stupid, but given how he'd managed to stay off the radar for somewhere, Dean doubted he was.

Before Lucifer could answer, he felt the Graces of two angels begin to seep into the room. He of course recognized them both, Gabriel and Castiel's. Both angels appeared behind Dean seconds later. "Well, that question is now redundant."

"Why's that?" Dean asked.

"I'm starting to think my father created you with no brain!" A voice growled behind Dean.

Dean turned to see both angels. He immediately charged towards Gabriel, ready to beat the crap out of the son of bitch that took his brother. "Where the hell is my brother?!"

Gabriel grabbed him by the arm to stop his attack and then used his other to grab the scruff of his neck. He held him just hard enough to keep him in his grasp and cause him mild discomfort. "You just get more idiotic by the second, don't you?"

"Let me go!" Dean demanded as he struggled in the archangel's grip. Well, he tried to struggle anyway. Anyone watching couldn't really tell that he was struggling. Gabriel's grip was that strong.

"Shut up!" Gabriel ordered loudly. He thought he was mad over the Michael thing, but he was downright furious now. The little muttonhead was actually working with Lucifer to try to take his son. Did this kid really have so little brain activity in his head. "The only thing stopping me from smiting you right now is your brother! Do not test my patience!"

Dean looking at the angel slash trickster. He'd never seen the guy like this. Both times he'd encountered Gabriel, his demeanor was amusement and mocking, what you'd expect from a trickster. He was none of that now. His face and voice held nothing but fury.

Lucifer, meanwhile, was watching the scene silently. He too was taken in by his brother's demeanor. Gabriel had been known to get pretty angry, but it was rare. He was the most easygoing of all the archangels. Right now though, he was destroy a country type angry. It definitely left Lucifer intrigued.

"Castiel, get this muttonhead out of my sight. Take him to Singer's and watch him carefully. I will decide what to do with him when I'm done here," Gabriel said with a glare.

Dean glared at Cas. He'd barely recognized his presence before, but now he realized that he was there and what it meant. Cas had betrayed him. "I guess it's all about blood, or Grace, for you, huh, Cas?"

Castiel didn't reply. He simply touched his forehead and teleported them both away.

Gabriel turned back to his older brother, silently preparing himself for what he knew would be one hell of a confrontation.


	23. Chapter 23

Gabriel and Lucifer stared at each other for a few moments before Lucifer took a step towards his brother.

Gabriel summoned his blade and it appeared in his right hand.

Lucifer sighed and looked at his brother with boredom and slight annoyance. "Really, Gabriel? Is this necessary?"

"You tell me," Gabriel asked. His blade was still at his side pointed to the floor, but he was ready to use it if he had to.

"You know, the last time I saw you, you and fighting were not exactly best friends. You were trying to stop the fighting. Now you're drawing your blade on me?" Lucifer asked.

Gabriel did nothing but shrug in response.

"What are you trying to do, Brother? I cannot understand your motivation for any of this. Kidnapping Sam, drawing on me, what could you gain from it. Do you believe keeping me from my vessel will end it, maybe save Michael," Lucifer asked.

"Leave it to you to slip your ego into it, thinking without a doubt that you'd win. But this isn't about you or Michael. I couldn't care less about either of you," Gabriel said the last part coldly. It really wasn't true. He loved his brothers. He always would, but when it was them against Sam, it was a no brainer. He'd choose his without any hesitation.

Lucifer didn't allow Gabriel to see it, but the youngest archangel's words cut. Most of his siblings believed him heartless, but he wasn't. He loved his brothers, even Michael, though he felt betrayed and angry with his older brother. So Gabriel's words did hurt, even if he was pretty sure his younger brother didn't mean them. "So what then? Why did you take Sam? Why interfere if you don't care?"

Gabriel didn't reply.

Lucifer started pacing the area around him. "You know, before you got here, I was thinking that maybe this was all just one of your games. We all know how much you love those. But I saw how you reacted to the Winchester ape. You were a level of pissed that I've only seen from you a handful of times. This is no game to you."

"No, it's not," Gabriel said seriously.

"I don't wanna fight you, Gabriel. Don't get me wrong, I'm annoyed that you would take something that doesn't belong to you, but…"

"Shut up," Gabriel warned as he tightened his grip on his blade.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. He was a little surprised at the amount of anger that was building up in his brother. He decided to see how far he could take that. Maybe if he got Gabriel angry enough, he could find out exactly what was going on. "You know I don't like my things being touched without permission, Gabriel. Sam Winchester belongs to me. You had no right taking him."

Gabriel, who was already angry enough, saw red. His brother had just dared to stake claim to _his_ son. He was treating him like some toy that he didn't want to share. It royally pissed Gabriel off. No one was going to treat his son so callously.

Gabriel lunged at Lucifer and slammed him against a wall, causing the wall to brack. He brought his blade to his brother's throat, holding him in place. "He will never be yours! You will never touch him!"

Lucifer stood there shocked. His plan was provoke a reaction, but this was not the reaction he expected. He expected that Gabriel might shout something he didn't mean to, which did happen, but he didn't expect such a violent response. He probably should've considering Gabriel had drawn his blade before they even started speaking. "Calm down, Brother. What is going on with you and Sam?

Realization dawned on Gabriel in seconds. Lucifer had done this on purpose. He was trying to make him slip up, and it worked. "You bastard, you were trying to piss me off."

"Yes, though I didn't expect it to go quite this far," Lucifer said before quickly shoving his brother off of him and to the floor.

Gabriel got up quickly and grabbed his blade, shoving it between himself and his brother.

"I meant what I said, I don't want to fight. I'll be honest, I was planning on roughing you up a bit before, but just the brotherly kind of thing. Now I don't even wanna do that because I can see that this is not some game or trick and it's not something you're doing just to piss me off. Sam Winchester matters to you, though I'm not sure why. I don't know what it is you have to do with him. You're not friends. From the information I've gathered, you've done nothing but mess with the Winchesters when you saw them," Lucifer said.

"Don't. You have no idea of what I was doing with them," Gabriel said with a glare.

"No, you're right, I don't, but I do know that something is going on with you. I know something bad is happening and you're scared," Lucifer said.

"You're wrong," Gabriel said.

"No, I'm not. I can see it, Gabriel. You're hiding it behind the anger, and you're doing a good job at it. No one else would be able to see it, not even Michael, but then no one else raised you. I know you, Gabriel. I know you're afraid. Talk to me. I want to help," Lucifer begged. There were very few people he was like this with, that he would actually beg to let him. Hell, anyone who saw him right now, except Michael and Raphael, would think he was possessed or something, even though that wasn't possible.

The hand holding Gabriel's blade shook. He wanted to let go. He wanted to confess all to his big brother. He was trying very hard to be strong for Sam, and he believed he was doing a good job with it. He never let his son see how truly afraid for him he was. Because he knew that if he was afraid then Sam would be afraid and he just wouldn't allow that. He was Sam's father. He needed to be strong for him. But right now with his brother, all he felt was the need to break.

He almost did it. Gabriel came very close to unburdening himself to Lucifer, letting the Morningstar share some of his weight, but he didn't because he would not risk Sam's life for the possibility of making himself feel better. He'd gamble with anything else, but not Sam. "I don't need help."

Lucifer sighed. "You don't trust me. I guess I can understand that. I will gain your trust back and you will let me help you."

"And how will you do that?" Gabriel asked skeptically.

"By leaving you be for now. You can go and I won't come looking for you, under one condition," Lucifer said. This wasn't at all how he planned to deal with things, but knowing how scared his brother really was, he was willing to do what he had to, even by letting his baby brother borrow Sam.

"What?" Gabriel asked, not sure he believed any of this.

"If something happens and what you fear comes down on you, you call me for help," Lucifer said firmly.

Gabriel nodded after a minute.

"I will listen for you, and though you don't believe me, when you finally do tell me what is going on, I will be on your side," Lucifer promised.

Gabriel didn't reply. He just teleported away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby was upstairs when he heard Dean's voice shouting from the living room. He wasn't surprised that Dean was abruptly back. Cas had called him and asked for his direct location when Dean didn't pick up his phone and he sounded like it was important.

Bobby made his way out of the room and down to living room where he saw Dean in the angel's face, extremely pissed, though Cas didn't look too happy either.

"You freaking screwed us over! Have you been working with him the whole time, since the asshole took Sam?!" Dean shouted.

"If I had, I would not have even mentioned Gabriel to you and I certainly wouldn't have asked Bobby to pray to him," Castiel said, quite irritated himself. He couldn't believe Dean had been reckless enough to go to Lucifer. Michael he somewhat understood, especially since he eventually saw sense in the end, but Lucifer was another matter, and he'd actually gone through with it. At this point, he completely understood his brother's ire.

"Hey! Quit the freaking shouting!" Bobby growled as he entered the room.

Dean turned to Bobby when he heard him. "This dick knew where Sam was! He betrayed us!"

Bobby cringed. He knew it was gonna end badly when Dean found out that he was being kept in the dark about Sam, and Dean didn't even know yet that Bobby knew some. He knew the kid was going to feel twice as betrayed.

"I betrayed no one. My brother put his trust in me and I honored it," Castiel said.

"Yeah, and screwed over the people who have actually been loyal to you for months! I guess your loyalty will always lie with your brothers!" Dean said angrily.

"If that was true, I would've never taken you to try to stop Sam from killing Lilith. I wouldn't have stopped Zachariah when he was trying to torture you or kept you hidden from him and the others either," Castiel said defensively.

"Dean, I know you're pissed, but everything he's done has been to protect Sam," Bobby said. He still wasn't sure how much faith he had in this archangel, but he did believe Cas had done what he thought would protect Samj.

Dean whipped his head around and looked at his surrogate father with betrayal. "You knew?"

"I knew that Cas had seen Sam and that he was trying to look out for Sam," Bobby admitted.

"And you kept it from me! How could you, Bobby?! How could you side with them over us?!" Dean asked loudly.

"Hey, watch yourself, Boy! I was trying to help Sam," Bobby said with a glare.

"By leaving him with the asshole trickster?! You trusted him? You were willing to risk my brother with him!" Dean fumed.

"The only person who risked Sam's life is you," Castiel told him. He knew Dean hadn't meant to put Sam at risk. He had only wanted to save his brother, but he could've gotten him killed.

"What are you talking about? You, idjit! Did you go to Michael?" Bobby asked irritably.

"Worse. He went to Lucifer," Castiel said while glaring at Dean.

"What? Are you stupid, Dean? What the hell went through your head?! I tell you going to Michael is a dumb idea and you go to the devil instead?!" Bobby asked angrily.

"I didn't go to him! He heard your prayer and came here. Then he found me in Nebraska," Dean said.

"You were going to help him. We heard you," Castiel said.

"I had no choice. You wouldn't help and I had no chance of finding Sam on my own. And you know, it seems I can trust him more than you! He told me you knew. You screwed me over! As far as I'm concerned, you're the one I should never have trusted!" Dean yelled.

"The devil doesn't know where Sam is, does he?" Bobby asked concerned.

"I don't think so, and even if he does, Sam is protected from angels. That's why Lucifer needed Dean. Gabriel wouldn't have felt the need to protect his home from humans. Still, if Lucifer had gotten what he wanted, Sam and Dean have have both been killed. It's only by luck that we got there in time to stop them," Castiel said.

Bobby glared at Dean again. "You little idjit! This ain't gonna happen again, you got that?! Do not be this stupid again!"

"He's not going to get the chance," Castiel said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

Castiel took a couple of steps towards his friend. "Did you think Gabriel's words were for show? Empty threats? Archangels don't make empty threats. You angered an archangel and he is going to make sure you can't do this again, and there is nothing I can do to help you. I'm not sure I would if I could." When Dean had just been thinking about saying yes to Michael, he'd tried to reason with Gabriel, not wanting to betray Dean by handing him over to him, but Dean went too far by working with Lucifer. He could've gotten Sam killed. Castiel cared about Dean, but he was not willing to allow Dean to continue to ask rashly.

"Yeah. We all know you're loyalty ain't with me and Sam," Dean bit out.

"What will Gabriel do, Cas?" Bobby asked, worried for Dean. Gabriel had been pretty easy going the last time they'd met, but he was an archangel and wrath was pretty big with them.

"I'm not sure. Dean's lucky he didn't smite him. If he'd been anyone else, I imagine he would be dead. I would say that whatever he does will make Dean unhappy though," Cas said.

"Yeah, like I'm happy now. But, hey, maybe I will be happy. Maybe the dick will get his ass smote by Big Brother," Dean said with a smirk.

Castiel glared at him. "You'd better hope that doesn't happen because I'm not certain Sam will forgive you if it does." He'd witnessed some interaction between Sam and Gabriel, and while Sam didn't appear that close with Gabriel, he believed Sam cared for Gabriel, even if he didn't realize it. And either way, Gabriel was still his father.

"What are you talking about? Sam don't give a damn about that SOB. He'd be happy if he died," Dean said.

"Well, then everyone's gonna be unhappy," A new voice said.

Everyone turned to see Gabriel leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Brother, are you alright?" Castiel asked.

"Fine," Gabriel said. He'd actually left Lucifer feeling very unsure and he still did, but after taking some time to collect himself, he was ready to finish this hell of a night. He'd managed to get rid of the uncertainty he'd felt with Lucifer by thinking of what a dumbass Dean had been. Now he was back to anger.

"Lucifer?" Castiel questioned.

"Still alive, but not a problem right now," Gabriel said before pushing off the wall and glaring at Dean. "Now my problem is you. Sit down!"

"Screw you!" Dean retorted.

Bobby growled and grabbed Dean by the back of the shirt, dragging him over to the couch and forcing the younger down on it. He was not gonna have the boy committing suicide by pissing off an archangel anymore than he already had.

"Thank you," Gabriel said to Bobby before looking back at Dean. "So tell me, what do you think I should do with you?"

Dean didn't reply. He just glared at him.

"No opinion?" Gabriel asked before walking over and taking a seat in a chair. "I've considered a few things. I could alter your memory, make you forget who I am and that Sam's with me, but that wouldn't really make much difference. You'd still know that your brother was gone and would probably still be stupid. Plus, you'd have a bunch of questions, like how Bobby here got his legs back, and there's still Lucifer, whom I can't be sure won't come to you again. So that option's out."

"I don't care what you do. I'll find a way to get my brother and then I'll kill your ass," Dean swore.

Gabriel went on as though he never heard Dean. "Option two. I could lock you in an alternate universe. I specialize in those. But I don't have the ability to watch you twenty-four/seven. I could create a clone to do it, but that'd be a lot of power and it would take away from the wards I'm using around my home. Again, not doable. I guess we're going with option three."

"Wait," Bobby interrupted, thinking that the last option was probably very severe, like death. "We can stop him. I'll lock him in the panic room."

"What the hell, Bobby?" Dean growled.

"Shut up, Dean," Bobby said before turning back to the archangel. "I swear, I'll keep him from doing something stupid."

Gabriel shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm not gonna risk that. The Winchester boys have gotten out of worse. No, he's mine now. Get used to my face, kid, because you'll be seeing constantly."

"You're taking him with you?" Castiel asked surprised. Gabriel had taken Sam because he believed that it was essential to keep Sam away from Michael's vessel.

"Yep. He obviously can't be trusted on his own, so it looks like I'll be babysitting him," Gabriel said. He still had reservations about this. He didn't want Sam around Michael's vessel, but Sam was right. It was his least risky option. He needed to be able to keep an eye on him.

Dean glared at him. The asshole was treating him like a child that needed to be put in line. He wanted to punch the SOB. But on the upside, he would get to see his brother, at least that was the impression he was getting. They could work together to stop Gabriel.

Gabriel got up from his chair. "Get up."

Dean complied with the order, but continued to glare.

"Hang on. Look, I know I can't stop you, but can you at least tell me what this is about?" Bobby asked. He wasn't going to bother trying to stop this from happening. He knew he was no match for an archangel. Besides, it might just be better this way. He did want to know though why this was happening.

"Castiel can tell you once we're gone. I'm done chatting tonight. You keep your mouth shut about what he tells you though," Gabriel warned. He believed Bobby could be trusted with the information. He wasn't like John Winchester. He didn't hate all supernatural creatures and he'd been good to Sam.

Bobby nodded.

Gabriel turned back to Dean and made a hand gesture, relieving him of his weapons and cellphone.

Dean glared daggers at him. "Give them back!"

"You won't need them. Let's go," Gabriel ordered before grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and teleporting.


	24. Chapter 24

Sam was pacing nervously. Gabriel had been gone for a while and that left Sam very concerned, especially given how pissed the angel had been. Gabriel had promised not to hurt Dean, but that didn't mean he wouldn't act hastily in dealing with him. Also, for all he knew, Dean had done something stupid and they were both at risk right now, which could explain why it was taking so long for Gabriel to return.

Sam forced himself to stop pacing and sit down. He shut his eyes and tried to calm down. "Okay, stop thinking the worst. It's probably fine. Dean's probably just being difficult. Of course how do you be difficult with an archangel.

"Get your hands off me!" A gruff voice said.

Sam opened his eyes to see Dean yank out of Gabriel's grip. Sam immediately stood up. "Dean."

Dean went over to his brother. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam said before pulling his brother into a half-hug. He looked behind him at Gabriel and saw the archangel was extremely unhappy, even less so than when he left. Something had gone down.

Dean pulled away after a few seconds. "You sure you're okay? This dick didn't do anything to you?"

"No, I'm fine. Though I hear you almost screwed us all by intending to go to Michael? You promised me, Dean," Sam admonished.

"Yeah, well, promises made in dreams don't count, and certainly not when your brother's being held captive," Dean said.

"I told you I was fine," Sam said.

"Like you would've told me otherwise if you weren't. I did what I had to," Dean said unapologetically.

"You were an idiot," Gabriel grumbled behind them.

"What's going on? You're more pissed than when you left," Sam said.

"That's because when I left, I didn't know this idiot had gone to Lucifer!" Gabriel said while glaring at Dean.

Sam looked back at his brother with horror and disbelief. "Dean, are you crazy?! You made a deal with the Devil!"

"Like I said, I did what I had to to get you back," Dean said.

"How'd that work for you?" Gabriel asked before walking out of the room.

"Worked just fine," Dean said. While he was now being held captive, he had his brother and they would find a way to get out of this.

"He can hear you," Sam said. He doubted Dean cared though.

"Yeah, I know," was all Dean said before looking around. "I assume everything's locked?"

"Oh, yeah. An angel's the only thing that can open anything," Sam said.

"Whatever. We'll find a way out," Dean said.

"Dean, what the hell were you thinking? What part of your brain thought it was a good idea to work with the devil?" Sam asked. He couldn't believe his brother had been so dumb. Yes, he knew he was hardly one to talk after letting Ruby trick him, but that was actually how Dean should know not to work with demons, or worse, the Devil.

"He was the only option I had. I have no power over an archangel. It was Lucifer or Michael," Dean said.

"What good would it have done? Lucifer would've betrayed you the second I was in his sight! This was stupid, Dean," Sam lectured.

"Hey, back off! LIke you've never gone to the enemy? Does Ruby not ring any bells?" Dean asked defensively. He knew it probably wasn't fair, but Sam should understand him going to extreme lengths.

"He was infected with demon blood. What's your excuse? Gabriel asked as he reentered the room.

Sam smiled inwardly. He was grateful for the defense, even if Dean was right. He loved Dean and he knew he totally deserved for Ruby to be thrown in his face, but it was nice to have someone not throw it in his face, and no matter what else, Gabriel never did. He was grateful for that.

"I was saving my brother from an asshole archangel," Dean retorted.

"Again, how'd it work out for you?" Gabriel asked.

"We will get out of here," Dean insisted.

"Go with that, Bucko. I've just set up your bedroom. It's at the end of the hall. Sam can show you. I will be listening, so don't do something stupid, like praying. I promise you'll regret it," Gabriel said.

"How about you tell us what you want? What game is this?" Dean asked.

"No game," Gabriel asked.

"Oh, it's always a game or a trick. You don't know how to do anything else. Like Mystery Spot when you tortured Sam for the hell of it," Dean said.

Sam could tell that Dean was making Gabriel even more angry with talk of Mystery Spot and decided to get him out of there before he lost his temper. Gabriel could be very patient and tolerant, but even in the short time he'd been around him consistently, Sam knew there was a limit and Dean was pushing him to it. "Okay, come on, Dean. It's late, we should turn in.

Dean let his brother push him out of the room, mainly because he didn't wanna be around the angel anymore. He followed Sam through the kitchen and down the hall.

"Do yourself a favor, Dean, don't bring up Mystery Spot. It's a really sore point," Sam said. He knew very well that Gabriel hated what he did at that point and the events that led up to him doing it. He hadn't totally forgiven the archangel for doing it, but he understood it much better know and didn't believe Gabriel should have it thrown in his face.

"Yeah, for me too. I wanna kill that asshole for what he did to you, and now again for what he's been pulling," Dean said as they entered the room. It had all the essentials. A bed in the center of the room, a dresser in front of it, and a closet to the side. "I wish I knew what he was up to. I mean, Cas thinks there's some kind of war that involves you and him, but for all I know, it's all just some trick that this bastard is playing. We all know he loves them," Dean said.

"Dean…"

"Although, I admit, I haven't seen much Trickster tonight," Dean interrupted.

"Well, yeah, he's pissed. What you did screwed could've screwed us," Sam said.

Dean looked at his brother suspiciously. Was his brother really defending this guy? It sounded like that, and if so, that meant Gabriel must have done something to him. "Sam, are you sure you're okay?"

"I told you twice that I'm fine. Look, I wanna head to bed. It's been a long day," Sam said.

"Yeah, fine, only because I'm shot too. Tomorrow, we need to talk about a lot of things though," Dean said. One of the biggest things they needed to discuss was how it was Sam could dreamwalk.

Sam nodded, looking somewhat uncomfortable, and left the room. He didn't go straight to bed though. He went back out to the living room to speak to Gabriel. "Hey. Thanks for bringing him here."

"Yeah, well, I didn't have much choice," Gabriel said from his spot on the couch. "His actions were beyond stupid and I had no better way to keep him in line. But you're welcome. I know you've missed your brother. You may not believe it, but I took no pleasure in keeping you from him."

"I do believe it. So what happened with your brother?" Sam asked.

Gabriel stiffened a bit. He'd been trying not to think about his conversation with Lucifer. "It's fine, Sam."

"So he doesn't know anything?" Sam asked.

"No. You have nothing to worry about," Gabriel said shortly.

Sam could tell Gabriel did not want to talk about it would not say much else. He did have one final question about it though. "Is he still alive?"

Gabriel nodded.

"Okay, I'll drop it. I have a favor to ask you. Please don't tell Dean anything yet. I'm not ready," Sam said. He was so scared of how Dean would react to everything, especially since it was very clear that he hated Gabriel, although that was kind of understandable giving the circumstances and that he didn't know everything.

"Sam, I think your brother can be a moron and at this moment, I'd love nothing more than to smite his ass, but he loves you. He's not gonna care about any of this," Gabriel said confidently. Dean was could be an ass, but Gabriel doubted very much that he would turn against Sam over this. He wasn't that kind of person.

"I...I just need more time. Please," Sam begged.

Gabriel sighed. "I won't tell him, but he will find out. He already knows you can dreamwalk and you will be exhibiting other powers soon. Your strength is getting better each day, and Dean will notice that when he sees us train."

"Well, maybe we can stop that for a while," Sam said, already knowing what the response would be.

"Absolutely not. Training is for your protection and it will not stop. I will give you two days to figure out how you want to handle things, but after that, one way or another, we pick up business as usual, got me? Gabriel asked in a hard tone.

Sam sighed unhappily, but nodded his agreement.

"I know you're worried, but I really think it's for nothing. Your brother will understand," Gabriel assured him.

"I hope so. I'm gonna go to bed," Sam said before leaving the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel sat at the table while Bobby grabbed a beer from the fridge. He hadn't left, knowing Bobby would want the explanation that Gabriel had given Castiel permission to give.

Bobby walked to the kitchen table and sat down. "Alright, let's have it. What's going on?"

Castiel leaned forward. "Do you know the term nephilim?"

"What's an angel/human kid got to do with anything?" Bobby asked. He'd heard of it. He'd read every kind of lore there was, including things like Nephilim. He'd never believed they existed before though. Then again, he used to say the same about angels.

"Everything. Nephilims are believed to be extinct. They were outlawed by God a long time ago," Castiel said.

"Believed to be extinct? That sounds like you know they're not," Bobby commented.

"They are not. There is at least one in existence, though he is in extreme danger right now. Should angels find out about him, he'll be killed," Castiel said.

Realization hit Bobby almost immediately. This conversation was supposed to be about Sam and it had already been explained to him that Sam was in serious danger. "Sam?"

Castiel nodded. "Sam is the only known nephilim still alive. He is the son of a human and an angel?"

"How? John was no angel. That I'm sure of, and it's hard to believe Mary was, given that it's been revealed she was a retired hunter. And Dean would be a nephilim if that was the case," Bobby said.

"No, neither Winchester was an angel. Sam was not born a Winchester. His father took him from his human mother and gave him to them," Castiel explained.

"Gabriel," Bobby realized. It was the only thing that made sense if this was true. It explained why Gabriel would take Sam and why Cas was so sure Sam was safe with him. He was his father.

"Yes. Gabriel is Sam's father. Gabriel has spent Sam's entire life trying to keep him safe. That's why he gave him up and why he's now taken him back. It's also what why a war between the archangels will break out if this is ever revealed. Gabriel will kill or die before he allows Sam to be hurt," Castiel said.

Bobby couldn't believe this. Sam wasn't a Winchester. He wasn't even human. Not that that mattered to Bobby. He'd seen that kid grow up and he loved him, no matter what he was. Nothing would ever change that. It was just so hard to believe. "Does Sam know?"

"Yes. Sam had been told by the time I saw him," Castiel said.

"How is he taking it?" Bobby asked. He couldn't imagine Sam was handling this well. Just knowing that Dean wasn't his brother by blood would freak him out. Knowing he wasn't human had to be scaring the hell out of him. Sam had been taught that the supernatural was evil, especially the unknown kind, and while the kid never supported that belief, he had reason to believe the rest of them did.

"I am not aware of his initial reaction, but I believe it must have been bad, as he appears to be having a hard time with it. He expected me to condemn him and he is unsure of his nature himself. It is understandable that he thinks this, even though he is wrong. He has been told how he is seen by angels. He's considered an abomination, something that should be terminated," Castiel said.

"You people better be telling him he's wrong," Bobby said.

"I have said it and I believe it is an argument Gabriel has with him quite frequently," Castiel said.

Bobby took a sip of his beer. So should anyone find out, Sam will be considered a monster. He will be hunted by every angel in existence."

"Yes."

Bobby said the only thing that came to his mind. "Balls."

"I will never understand what that means, but since you always say that when something bad happens, I have to agree," Castiel said.

"There anything I can do?" Bobby asked.

"Just stay quiet about it," Castiel said.

"Bobby nodded. "I want to talk to Sam. He needs to know he's still mine."

"I can give him that message," Castiel said.

"No, that's not good enough. Sam needs to hear that from me. It's the only way he'll believe it's true," Bobby said.

"I will speak to Gabriel about it," Castiel said.

"Good, and you guys better keep him safe," Bobby said before getting up and leaving the room.


	25. Chapter 25

Dean woke up the next morning feeling better than he had in weeks. He hadn't really slept well since Sam disappeared. Now that he had his brother back, he could finally relax some. Sure he was an archangel's prisoner, but he was with his brother and they could find a way out of this together.

Dean got out of bed and quickly put on the clothes he was wearing the day before. Then he left the room in search for Sam's. It was time for his brother to fill him in on exactly what was happening and for them both to figure out a way out of there.

Dean was about to start checking rooms when he heard voices coming from the kitchen. It seemed Sam was already up and for some reason taking company with their captor.

"You knock me out last night?" Dean heard Sam ask as he walked closer.

"Yep. I could hear you tossing and turning in your sleep. You weren't sleeping well," Gabriel was saying.

Dean stopped a few feet from the kitchen and listened.

"No, I wasn't. Your two day deadline was getting to me," Sam said.

Dean was confused. He had no idea what deadline his brother was talking about and he didn't understand why the conversation he was having with the guy who kidnapped him was so civil.

"Hey, I just said we return to business as usual. You can handle it however you want, though I think we both know how you should handle it. Hey, Dean,you gonna be a stalker all morning or are you going to join us?" Gabriel said the last part louder.

Dean sighed and walked into the kitchen, finding both his brother and Gabriel seated at the table several feet away.

"You'll find eavesdropping is kind of hard with an archangel," Gabriel said.

Dean glared at him as he walked over and sat down next to Sam.

"You sleep okay?" Sam asked his brother.

"Yeah, fine," Dean said.

"Put in your breakfast order. What do you want?" Gabriel asked.

"Nothing," Dean said shortly.

"Give him bacon, eggs and toast. Also, Black coffee," Sam said.

"Dude!" Dean protested.

"Don't be a child, Dean. What, you're gonna starve yourself because you're pissed?" Sam asked.

Gabriel arched an eyebrow and gave Sam a smirk, reminding the kid that he'd tried to do the same.

Sam rolled his eyes. "That's not the same, and you didn't let me anyway,"

Dean looked between the two of them. He was not liking this. First, Sam was being way too friendly with the dude that kidnapped him and know the two of them were having some kind of unspoken communication. It was way too weird and he needed to find out why it was happening.

"So, Dean, that order good with you or do you want something else? Say so now or you get what you get," Gabriel said.

Dean didn't speak, he just glared.

Gabriel shrugged and snapped his fingers, conjuring up the breakfast order Sam suggested.

For all his talk of not wanting anything, Dean started eating what was in front of him. He was never one to ignore food, and it clearly wasn't poisoned as Sam had no problem with the french toast he was wolfing down. "So you gonna tell us what the hell you brought us here for?"

"You're here because you're an idiot," Gabriel said matter-of-factly.

"Gabriel, come on. Dean did something stupid, but it's over. Let it go," Sam said.

"Hey, he's still breathing," Gabriel said. Then he heard his phone ring. He grabbed it looked to see who it was. He sighed before answering. "Castiel, it has been way too short a time since the last disaster. I will smite someone if something else happens.

Dean's eyes darkened at the mention of Cas. He was still pissed at him. He wouldn't ever forgive him for screwing him and Sam over and helping his dick brother.

"Tell me how he took it before I agree to that," Gabriel said. Castiel had just told him that Bobby was asking to speak to Sam. He was inclined to let him, but not if Singer reacted badly. He didn't think the hunter would react badly, but he didn't want to risk it. He had enough problems getting Sam to see himself as something other than a possible evil supernatural creature. He would not let the man who'd acted as a father to him make it worse.

Sam gave Gabriel a look, silently asking what was going on.

Gabriel took the phone away from his ear and held it out for Sam. "Bobby Singer would like to speak to you."

Sam frowned slightly. For nearly two weeks, Gabriel had refused to allow him to talk to anyone. Now he was suddenly allowed to speak to Bobby? Of course, with Dean now here, Gabriel might not see a reason to stop it. Before it had all been about keeping Michael's vessel out of the loop. That wasn't really possible anymore.

Sam took the phone and placed it to his ear. "Bobby?" he asked before hearing a shift with the phone. Bobby's voice came through seconds later.

" _Sam?"_

"Yeah, Bobby, I'm here. It's good to hear from you," Sam said.

" _Same here, Boy. You had me worried,"_ Bobby said.

"I know. In my defense, this all really wasn't my call," Sam said with a slight chuckle.

" _Sam, Cas told me everything,"_ Bobby said.

Sam paled and pure dread coursed through his body. By everything, he could only assume Bobby meant the half-angel thing. Bobby knew he wasn't human. That terrified Sam almost as much as it did with Dean. He wasn't sure how the older hunter had taken it and what he was about to say. He did know that he had to get away from Dean before he heard it. He was going to break if Bobby took it badly and Dean couldn't see that. So he bolted up and headed for his bedroom.

Dean started to get up to follow his brother. He'd seen the sheer panic on his brother's face and he wanted to know exactly what was going on.

Gabriel had Dean back in his chair before he was even completely out of it.

Dean tried to get up, but found himself stuck in his seat. "Let me go!"

"No. Sam needs to handle this himself and you will let him," Gabriel said in sharp tone.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam burst into his room, shut and locked the door, and sat down on the bed.

" _Sam, you there?"_ Bobby asked.

"Yeah, I'm here, Bobby," Sam said extremely quietly.

" _Alright, I want you to listen, okay? LIke I said, Cas told me everything. I know that you're not fully human. I know that Gabriel is your father. Now here comes the part I need you to listen to, Sam. I don't care!"_ Bobby said firmly.

Sam let out a huge breath upon hearing those words, feeling relief that he hadn't lost Bobby. Bobby didn't care that he was a nephilim. He didn't care that he wasn't human. He felt such relief from that.

" _Sam, I've known you for most of your life. I think you spent more time around me, than your daddy. We both know I don't do what Dean would call 'chick flick moments', but I'm going to now. I love you, Boy. You and Dean may as well be mine. I don't give a damn what you are,"_ Bobby said.

Sam couldn't help but let out a strangled noise. "Th...thank you. I feel the same way about you."

" _You believe me, Sam?"_ Bobby asked.

"Yeah. You've never lied to me, even just to make me feel better. I believe you," Sam said.

" _Good because I don't care what those assholes say about you. They don't know you. So stop letting them get in your head because I know you are,"_ Bobby said in slightly hard tone.

"It's not that easy, Bobby. I'm trying to figure out what I am and it's really hard. I'm not fully human and I'm not fully an angel. I have no idea what that means for me and neither does anyone else. Gabriel doesn't even know the full extent of what it means. What will I become?" Sam asked in a cracked voice.

" _Sam, I know you don't buy into your daddy's teachings that non-human means evil. You've shown compassion for innocent supernatural creatures. Don't condemn yourself,"_ Bobby said.

"You admit how my dad would react if he was here. He wouldn't be okay with this. At best, he'd be looking at me constantly like I was going to turn on humanity at any second. At worst, he'd want to kill me," Sam said. That fact really hit him. John might not really be his father and he might have been pretty bad at trying to be, but he was still the man Sam grew up believing was his father, and no matter how much he'd like to pretend otherwise, he knew the man would not be understanding. He'd hated everything supernatural.

Bobby sighed on the other end of the line. _"Most hunters are way too simple-minded. Your daddy was one of them. He probably would've seen it the way you say. But, Sam, he would be wrong."_

"Maybe. I don't know that though. No one does. There is only one consensus for what I am, one thing anyone who knows of my kind would call me. Abomination. The only exceptions so far are you, Gabriel, and Cas."

" _And Dean,"_ Bobby made a point of saying.

Sam didn't reply, still very unsure of where he would stand with Dean when he finally learned the truth.

" _Sam, Dean will understand,"_ Bobby said.

"I don't know about that. Let's say for a minute he'd be okay with the fact that I'm not human," Sam started. He had reservations even about that one because he remembered how Dean reacted to him using his powers from that demon blood. Yeah, Dean had been right about that, but the point was there were very cutting remarks made about him using supernatural abilities. He just wasn't sure Dean could look past him not being human. "Dean lost everything because of me, Bobby. His mother died because she agreed to take care of me. The demon wasn't really targeting me, he was targeting Mary Winchester's second child."

" _Which stands to reason that it would've happened regardless if she had another child,"_ Bobby argued.

"Maybe, but it was me that she died for. I was the reason Dean lost her and was forced into this world. Then there's the whole demon blood and Ruby thing. We both know Dean's had trouble getting over that. He's only been trying because I'm his brother, But…"

" _Don't you finish that sentence, Boy. Dean is your brother!"_ Bobby said firmly.

"Will he think so?" Sam asked unsure.

" _I believe so. Dean has always loved you. No part of me believes that will change. Look, you gotta talk to Dean. You gotta tell him, trust that he will still be by your side. Then you gotta find a way to stop seeing yourself as a possible monster. You're not one."_

Sam sighed. "I think I should go. Dean and Gabriel may rip each other a part if I leave them alone too long."

" _Huh. Dean used to say the same thing about you and your dad. One more thing, Sam. Your archangel daddy, you trust him?"_ Bobby said.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I do. I never thought I'd trust the Trickster, hell, I hated his guts after Mystery Spot, but, yeah, I trust him now. Hell, I don't even hate him anymore. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about him, but lately I've found myself comparing him to Dad, and after less than two weeks, he wins."

" _Well, I know you two love your daddy, but comparing anyone to John put him at a disadvantage. He let the job consume his life and he ignored his kids,"_ Bobby said.

"Yeah. Alright, I should go. Thanks for calling, Bobby. I'm glad I still have you," Sam said. Despite the deep reservations he had, he did feel better knowing Bobby had his back.

" _Always, Boy,"_ Bobby said before hanging up.

Sam sat there after he hung up. He could hear a pissed off Dean from the kitchen and he knew he should go out and calm him down, but he wasn't ready to face Dean after his conversation with Bobby. So he lied back on his bed and closed his eyes, trying to drown out his brother's shouting.


	26. Chapter 26

Sam must have dozed off at some point because the next thing he knew, he opened his eyes, looked at Gabriel's phone and saw that it was an hour later. He also noticed that Dean was no longer yelling. That either meant he'd gotten it out of his system or Gabriel shut him up somehow. The latter was the most believable.

Sam took a deep breath and got up. He walked out and to the living room where he found Gabriel watching TV from the couch. "Hey. Where's Dean?"

Gabriel muted the TV and smirked at his son. "Well, he decided to throw a tantrum, so I sent him to his room."

Sam rolled his eyes and gave Gabriel his phone back. "Thanks for letting me talk to Bobby."

"You needed to hear what he had to say. Did you hear him?" Gabriel asked, meaning he wanted to know if Sam had finally gotten it through his head that there was nothing wrong with him.

Sam sighed. "I don't know. It's still hard. I'm just happy that I have him."

"Dean next. I know I said you could handle things your way and that I'd give you a couple of days to figure things out before we went back to our normal schedule, but I think you should tell him now. You can't hide it forever, and you're only torturing yourself by delaying it," Gabriel told him.

Sam nodded. He knew that was true. He also knew that if Dean found out some other way, like through him maybe accidently using his powers, his brother would be even more upset by it, like when he'd found out about him using his powers from the demon blood. Dean still would've reacted badly to that, but the lies had made it worse. It was time to tell the truth. "I...I need you to go for a while. I have to do this alone."

Gabriel was very hesitant. In fact, his first instinct was to say no. Despite the fact that he was pretty positive Dean would understand, he couldn't be sure and he didn't want to leave his son alone to face this. But he could understand that Sam might need to deal with Dean one on one. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I don't even think Dean will really be able to listen to me if you're here. He's not gonna believe me at first. He'll make it like you did something to me and then he'll go after you and he won't listen to me anymore. He still might not with you gone, but I have a better chance," Sam said. He knew his brother very well. He at least knew how the older man would initially react, even if he couldn't fully gauge his ultimate reaction.

Gabriel snapped his fingers to open Dean's door and voice and then disappeared.

Dean came storming into the room a second later. "Where is the asshole?!"

"He left for a while," Sam said.

"The bastard locked me in!" Dean fumed.

"Yeah, he told me. I could hear you screaming from the other room, so it's not surprising," Sam said. Gabriel could be an ass when he chose, and Dean being an ass himself would certainly bring that out in him.

"What the hell did you run out for anyway? What did Bobby say to you?" Dean demanded to know, remembering how panicked his little brother looked when he was on the phone.

"It's okay, Dean. Bobby was just trying to reassure me. We're okay," Sam assured his brother.

Dean grunted. "Well, maybe you shouldn't be. Bobby helped Cas keep me from finding you. He knew Cas had seen you and he didn't tell me. They both betrayed us."

"No one betrayed us, Dean, definitely not Cas," Sam said defensively. He remembered Cas sitting there and telling him the other angels were wrong in what they thought of him. He'd promised Sam and Gabriel that he'd help them no matter what. Sam would not stand for him being called a traitor.

"He knew where you were!" Dean yelled.

"That's not exactly true. He came with Gabriel once, but he never would've been able to bring you here by himself. This place is protected from angels," Sam said.

"He could've told me. He chose Gabriel over us," Dean argued.

"It's not Gabriel against us, Dean," Sam said.

Dean narrowed his eyes at his brother. "What the hell did that SOB do to you? You've been acting way too friendly towards him. You talk to him like he's an old buddy you're staying with. He freaking kidnapped you and you get along like it's nothing!"

"He hasn't done anything, Dean. I've just finally listened to him and understand. I get what he's trying to do and I'm trying to make it easier," Sam said.

"Dude, he kidnapped you! No, he's done something to you, some kind of mind control. That's the only thing that explains you actually defending him," Dean said.

Sam actually laughed at the idea of Gabriel somehow controlling him and changing his moods. "Mind control? No, Dean. Trust me, if he was controlling me, things would've been much easier for him."

"So you just decided to be friends with the guy who kidnapped you for one of his stupid tricks?" Dean asked skeptically.

"This is not a trick, Dean. You have no idea what's happening here," Sam said seriously.

"Is it about this supposed war that involves the two of you. Cas mentioned that another of those dicks told him something like that, but who knows if Cas was even telling the truth about that?" Dean asked. He didn't trust Cas at all anymore. Sure, Cas had said that he didn't know anything about Sam until Bobby prayed to Gabriel, but Dean didn't know that that was true.

"He was. Look, Gabriel's only goal here is to protect me. That's why he took me from the motel. He wants me away from other angels, especially Michael," Sam said.

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "And you believe what he tells you? He's the freaking Trickster! Even if he's not really one. He doesn't know how to do anything else but screw with people. Just think about Mystery Spot."

"Mystery Spot wasn't what I thought it was," Sam said.

Dean raised an eyebrow. What the hell had his bastard done to his brother. Gabriel had screwed with him so badly that Sam was now even defending Mystery Spot. "Man, and you say he hasn't done anything. He's got you defending him killing me over and over again."

"No, I'm not defending it. I hate what he did, but now I understand it more. He played it off like it was some game when we confronted him, but it wasn't. I saw bits of that when I finally caught up with after the final time he killed you, but I didn't let myself hear what he was trying to tell me. I didn't hear it until recently. He explained, and with everything I know now, it's easy for me to go back and understand what he was trying to do. He was trying to make things better for me. He just did it in a really screwed up way," Sam explained.

Dean looked at his brother in complete disbelief. "Wew, this is worse than with Ruby. You are defending this dude even more than you did her."

"It's not like with Ruby," Sam swore.

"It sure sounds the same. He's got a hold on you just like she did. He's either controlling you or manipulating you, just like she did. Hey, I wonder if he'll have you drinking demon blood too," Dean said irritably.

"Stop it!" Sam said angrily. He hated thinking about the whole Ruby thing, especially now. He remembered how bad Dean reacted and it only reminded him of how he might react now. Also, he found he didn't like Gabriel being compared to her. He wasn't even close to the same as her. He had done nothing like she had.

"No!" Dean yelled. "We've gotta get the hell out of here. I need to get you away from this dick. You need to go back to hating his ass!"

"That's not gonna happen, Dean. I'm never gonna hate him again," Sam said in a soft tone. It wasn't entirely true though. There was one way he'd hate Gabriel. That was if Gabriel killed Dean like he said he would if Michael took control and they fought.

"Why?" Dean asked.

Sam took a deep breath and prepared to say the words that could very well destroy his relationship with his brother. "He's my father, Dean."


	27. Chapter 27

Dean could do nothing but stare at his brother like he'd grown five extra heads. There were so many things that could've come out of Sam's mouth, and given everything they knew and had seen, most of them probably wouldn't be all that shocking. But what Sam had just said wasn't just shocking. No, Dean had surpassed shock and bewilderment. He felt like he'd been godsmacked. In fact, he was at the point where he felt that his brain must have computed Sam's words wrong because what he'd heard was all kinds of crazy. "I think I need you to say that again, Sammy."

"Gabriel's my father," Sam said.

Dean nodded. "Okay, so there's nothing wrong with my brain or ears. You really did say that nonsense."

Sam wasn't surprised that his brother didn't believe him. He'd said to Gabriel that he probably wouldn't, and why should he? It did sound crazy. Sam didn't believe it first either. But it was true and he needed to get Dean to see that. "Look, I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth."

Dean shook his head. "No, it's not. That SOB did something to you. He's screwing with your head."

"Why would he lie about being my father?" Sam asked. He was well aware that Gabriel had asked him the same question when he refused to believe.

"Because, he's a dick," Dean said like there was no other reason necessary. "I will say this though. I was wrong before. This is not like with Ruby. This is far more freaking serious than with Ruby. No, there's no demon blood or demonic powers, but he's freaking got his hooks into you much more than she did, and it took him a whole lot less time."

"Dean, I know you don't want to believe this. I tried to deny it too, but…"

"Dude, this is crap! God, what the hell did he do to you that in less than two weeks he has you questioning your own family?" Dean asked. This was so freaking crazy. How could his brother even for one minute believe that he was the son of this evil SOB? Of course, he knew that creatures had their ways of screwing with you, but it hadn't been that long. Then again, according to Cas, archangels were only rivaled in power by God. Gabriel could probably accomplish anything without even trying. "Alright, screw this. We need to get out of here now."

Sam watched as his brother took off for the kitchen. He immediately followed and found the older man rummaging through the kitchen drawers. "Dean, stop."

"Nope," was all Dean said before finding a screwdriver and heading for the kitchen door. He was getting them the hell out of there so he could find some way to fix his brother. Hopefully getting him away from Gabriel would do some good there.

"Dean, this place is locked by an archangel's power. You really think you can jimmy the door open with a screwdriver?" Sam asked as if his brother had lost it. He received no response. "Dean, will you just stop and listen?"

"I'm not listening to this insanity any longer. Either the asshole screwed with your head magically or psychologically. Either way, this is nothing but lies," Dean said.

"Yeah, you're sure of that? So how do you think I took that walk through your dream?" Sam asked.

Dean stopped for a minute at his brother's words. He'd forgotten about the dream walking thing for a second. Dream walking wasn't something humans were able to do. He'd known that when it happened and Cas had said it as well. He'd been afraid of what it could mean that his brother could do it. But it couldn't mean this. This was crazy.

Sam continued as he realized he at least his brother's partial attention. "I didn't want to believe this. I tried to say it was a lie. He was the Trickster. He gets off on screwing with people, especially us. But then I made the decision to try to enter your deam."

Dean turned around to look at his brother, but he didn't say a word.

"I had mixed feelings about it. I wanted to talk to you and let you know I was okay, but if I succeeded, I had to let go of the luxury of denial," Sam said.

Dean could remember his brother's face when he'd asked him how he'd done it. Sam was kind of freaked out. It only lasted a minute and then he'd pulled himself together, but Dean remembered the look, the one that promised a meltdown as soon as he could. "You said it meant something bad for you."

"It meant that I had to accept the truth and I didn't want to. Finding out that it was true was worse than the demon blood for me. I didn't want to deal with it. But it was true. I couldn't deny that after going into your dream," Sam said sadly.

"Maybe he did it. Maybe he put you in my dream to trick you. He's an archangel. He could do that," Dean said. He wasn't prepared to accept this, however, the belief that this was all too insane for anyone to believe was a little less.

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at the very thought. "I can promise you he didn't. He was pissed when he pulled me out. Almost as much as last night when he brought you here. He didn't want us anywhere near each other. He certainly didn't want you knowing who he was or that I was with him."

Dean shook his head. "No. I refused to believe Mom cheated on Dad. She wasn't like that!"

"No, it's not like that, Dean. Look, let's just go sit and talk," Sam said.

Dean sighed, dropped the screwdriver he was still holding and followed his brother to the kitchen table. He took the seat closest to the door while Sam sat across from him.

"There was no affair. Mom didn't sleep with Gabriel to have me. The truth is that basically, I'm adopted. Gabriel gave me to you guys," Sam said.

Dean shook his head. "You realize this gets crazier every second, right?"

"What else is knew when it comes to us. Everything in our lives is crazy. I personally think we should start going with the more crazy it sounds, the more likely it is that it's true," Sam said.

"It's not possible. I remember Mom being pregnant. I remember Dad taking her to the hospital," Dean said. Of course those memories were hazy, as he was only four, but he remembered them.

"You remember what Gabriel put in your mind. He altered yours and Dad's memories. Mom was the only one who knew the truth," Sam explained.

"No, I won't believe this!" Dean said as he jumped up. He would not accept this. He would not accept that his brother wasn't really his. That he was somehow the kid of an angel. It could not be true.

"Dean, it's true. Think about our confrontations with Gabriel, especially Mystery Spot," Sam said.

Dean whipped around to his brother. "Yeah, let's think about that. He freaking tortured you. What kind of father would do that?!"

"He wasn't trying to torture me. He was trying to prepare me. You were going to die one way or the other, Dean. Your contract was running out and I was going to lose you. He wanted me to see that I couldn't do anything to stop it. He wanted to prepare me and help me move on. He did it in a very harsh way, but I guess that's where the term touch love comes in. Haven't you ever wondered why he'd go so far to teach me a lesson? Why I'd matter to him?" Sam asked. Honestly, he really should've thought about it himself. As far as he knew back then, Gabriel was just a trickster. Why would he care so much about one human?

"Yeah, I have," Dean said. He'd wondered a lot. It never made sense for the Trickster to go to such levels just to teach Sam. He shouldn't give a damn. He'd come to the conclusion after Sam's kidnapping that the bastard was just obsessed with him.

Sam could tell his brother was starting to think more and more about what he was telling him. Dean was at least close to accepting that this was true. Though Sam wasn't sure how good that would be fore him.

Dean suddenly remembered his mother. He remembered how she'd tell him about the angels watching them. After finding out his mother had been a hunter, that was perplexing. It was hard to imagine a hunter believing in angels. The only one he knew that was willing to believe was Sam. But his mom would always tell him that. And now that he thought about it, he remembered his mother saying something similar, yet much more specific to Sam.

' _You have a very special angel looking after you, Sammy. He'll always be there,"_ she'd said.

Dean felt like someone had hit him with something really heavy when that memory hit him. He was just a kid then, so he couldn't understand it, but with what Sam was selling him, he got it. His mother knew for a fact that there was an angel looking down at them. Sam's father. "Oh God."

"Dean?" Sam questioned. He could tell that Dean had just thought of something and it brought him to the truth.

"Remember what I told you Mom would tell me about angels?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded.

"She said it to you once, only different. She said a special angel was looking out for you," Dean told him in a shaky voice.

"Gabriel. Well, he was. He couldn't always be there, but he did his best to protect me," Sam said.

Dean shuddered. He couldn't believe this. It was true. His brother was biologically not so. He was the son of an angel, an angel Dean hated. Sam wasn't even human. There was at least a part of him that was angel. He couldn't deal with this. He couldn't lose his brother.

"Dean?" Sam questioned, silently begging his brother to speak. He needed to know what he was thinking. He needed to know if he'd lost his brother.

"What…? What does it all mean?" Dean asked. He knew nothing about this. What his brother was, what he intended to do about it. He didn't even know how Sam felt knowing that they weren't technically brothers. All he knew was that Sam seemed to have at least some sort of bond with Gabriel and that scared him.

"I don't really know. It's something I keep wondering. I know what am and how I'm perceived. I'm called a nephilim. I'm half human/half angel. And angels hate me. They call me an abomination. They'd kill me if they knew I existed," Sam said as he looked down, waiting to hear his brother agree with how he was thought of.

Dean's fear and shock turned to anger. Those freaking winged dicks called his brother an abomination?! Why, because he existed? Who the hell were they to decide what his brother would be. They knew nothing about Sam. Yeah, Sam had screwed up some in his life, but everyone did. He was a good person. He was certainly better than the asshats upstairs that dared to judge him. "Screw them."

Sam looked up at his brother in shock. His brother was pissed at the angels for what they thought of him. Dean wasn't mad at him like he'd been afraid of. Maybe Bobby and Gabriel had been right about Dean.

Dean frowned at the look on his brother's face. He seemed to be surprised by his reaction. "Dude, you didn't think I'd agree with them, did you?"

"I wasn't sure. I remember how you reacted the last time I had supernatural powers," Sam said.

"That was different. They were freaking demon powers and you were working with a demon," Dean said.

"You made it seem like being supernatural at all made me a monster," Sam said.

Dean immediately went to tell him he was wrong, but he thought back to the confrontation he'd had with his brother over his demon powers. He had something about his brother becoming something inhuman and how bad that was. He was the reason his brother was so afraid of his reaction. That had to be fixed now.

Dean went over to his brother and pulled him out of his chair and into his arms. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I shouldn't have said that to you. I shouldn't have made you afraid to tell me."

Sam held onto his brother tightly as tears ran down his face. "I can't lose you, Dean. I know I'm not really your brother but…"

"Don't ever say that! I'll always be your brother!" Dean said firmly without so much as loosening his grip on his brother. He didn't care what blood said, Sam was his. No one was ever going to take Sam from him, and that included his angel father. If Gabriel thought for one minute that DNA or whatever it was he supplied Sam with meant he could take him away, he was wrong. Dean would never let that happen.


	28. Chapter 28

Dean raided Gabriel's fridge, hoping to find some kind of alcoholic beverage. He wasn't sure there was ever a time he needed a drink more than now. He accepted Sam one hundred percent. Nothing would make him walk away from his brother. But that didn't mean the information wasn't still mind blowing or that it didn't send him reeling. "This dude seriously doesn't even have beer?"

Sam chuckled from the kitchen table. "I don't think he drinks, and if he did, he'd just snap it up. That's why there's not much else in there either. Everything in there is stuff I asked him to put there for the occasional time that he's not around."

"I can see that. Most of it consists of rabbit food. You couldn't tell him to stock up on beer too? You haven't wanted one since this crap started?" Dean asked.

"Well, in the beginning, I was in denial. After that wore off, I figured it was better to have a clear head. Gabriel probably would've said no anyway. Who knows what being drunk could do to me at this point? Hell, I wonder if I can even still get drunk," Sam said. He had no idea how intoxication would work with his Grace, whether it was even possible and if it was, what kind of damage he might do because of it?

"Well, when's he coming back? I want a drink," Dean said before closing the fridge and walked back over to his brother.

Sam shrugged. "I asked him to leave for a while so we could talk. I doubt he'll be back soon."

Dean retook his seat. "Alright, give me more info on this. What exactly are we dealing with?"

"The possible end of the world if anyone finds out," Sam said.

Dean snorted. "We were already dealing with that.

Sam shook his head. "Gabriel and Cas think it will be worse. Michael's gonna wanna kill me if he finds out and Gabriel has made it clear that he will kill or die before that happens."

"So that's why he kidnapped you. He was afraid of me saying yes and Michael finding out," Dean realized.

"Yeah, though it wasn't just you. He wanted to protect me from other angels as well, like Zachariah and at first, Cas. He was afraid they'd sense my Grace," Sam explained.

Dean frowned in confusion. "You've been around both and they never had before."

"Gabriel thinks that's because of the demon blood. Think about it. Demons and angels are polar opposites. One represents good, one evil. We think the demon blood inhibited my Grace. Now that it's used up, my Grace has strengthened. Cas sensed it immediately when Gabriel brought him here," Gabriel said.

"I really gotta apologize to Cas. I called him a traitor and I was wrong," Dean said. He still felt kind of annoyed at Cas for not telling him anything, but he was wrong to call the angel a traitor. The angel had only been protecting his brother.

"Yeah, you were. Cas accepted me the minute he was told. He treated me like a member of his family, not an abomination that should die for what I am," Sam said.

"Good. That's how he should act. These other assholes can go screw themselves," Dean said.

Sam smiled, happy that he had his brother in his corner.

Suddenly something occurred to Dean. "Dude, Cas is your uncle. That's kind of creepy."

"Any creepier than God being my grandfather?" Sam asked.

Dean's eyes widened. "Damn."

Sam grew serious after a minute. "Thanks for having my back again, Dean. What you would do was really freaking me out."

Dean looked down guiltily. His brother had been afraid that he'd turn his back on him, and it wasn't even unrealistic for him to think it. He'd said a lot of things over the years about the powers Sam had gotten from the demon and about supernatural things in general. He had to make that right. He wouldn't have his brother ever thinking he would condemn him for what he was. "Sam, I know I've been a dick about this kind of thing in the past. I'm sorry. I don't care what you are. I can't say it's not shocking or unreal, but I've got you, man."

"It wasn't just the nephilim thing. Everything that's happened to you happened because I was left with your family. You lost so much because of me. If Gabriel had picked someone else or I hadn't been born…"

"No, don't! Do not even freaking talk like that!" Dean ordered. He did not want to hear about how things would be if Sam wasn't around, if he hadn't become his brother. He didn't want to think of any kind of life without Sam. Yeah, he'd lost things and maybe he wouldn't have if he hadn't had Sam, but having Sam had meant everything to him. After his mother died, Sam had become the most important person in his life. Any kind of life without him wasn't something he wanted to think about. "Look, the events that happened in the last twenty-six years, are the same as they were yesterday. Nothing's changed there. And if you start talking about not being my brother again, I'll smack you."

"It feels different though. Maybe it's because I was essentially forced on you or because I'm not meant to exist," Sam said.

"Okay, first of all, you were not forced! Mom knew what was going on and she chose to take you. It's the best choice she ever made. Second, why are you letting those assholes decide what you're meant to be?" Dean asked.

"Dean, think of it from my point of view. God outlawed my existence. He decided that my kind was evil," Sam said. He would still be scared otherwise, but the fact that God himself considered him something that should be executed, it freaked the hell out of him.

"I don't give a damn! He's wrong! Man, I watched you grow up. How many times have I made fun of your sensitive ass or your need for chick flick moments? And, man, I should've remembered all that during the Ruby period," Dean said. Thinking back now, he should've tried harder with Sam, and not the way he'd done it. He shouldn't have browbeaten his brother with how evil his powers were. He'd just pushed him further towards Ruby, the being that seemed to accept him. And ultimately, what he did was the reason Sam had so little faith in him when this whole half-angel thing came about.

"You were right about Ruby," Sam said.

"Yeah, but I should've handled it better. I shouldn't have gone straight to the conclusion that you were turning dark or evil. I'm sorry, man," Dean said.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have trusted her. But I think I needed the demon blood to not be evil because somehow that felt like it made me evil. So I started believing her at first because it made me feel better," Sam said.

"You're not evil, Sammy. Even on that crap you weren't. Your judgement was clouded, but your motives were always good," Dean said.

"I still let the devil out," Sam said

"Whoa, wait. What does this all mean about him?" Dean asked. He just realized that his brother, who wasn't entirely human, was said to Lucifer's vessel. Was that still the case? Could an angel/human be a vessel for another angel?

"I don't think that I'm Lucifer's vessel. Gabriel thinks he changed Destiny when he left me with you guys and that as a result, Lucifer's vessel was never born. He's not positive though and doesn't wanna test the theory," Sam explained.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with him. Well, now I know it really was stupid for me to involve the devil," Dean said. If he'd managed to get Lucifer to Sam, who knew what the bastard would've done? Even if he couldn't take Sam over, he could still be a danger to him. He might have tried to kill him for what he was. True, Lucifer was no poster boy for following rules, but that didn't mean he didn't agree with this one.

"You were trying to help. But Dean, it was really stupid."

"I was desperate. I didn't know what the hell was going on. He came to me and offered to help. There was no other option. A big part of me knew it was stupid even when I was doing it, but I had to do something. Trust me, I regret it now. Well, sort of. It did lead to me getting here," Dean said.

"The problem is, Dean, here is where you'll be staying, and I knew you don't do well cooped up, especially by force," Sam said.

"Oh, I'm still getting us out of here," Dean said. None of this changed his goal, getting him and his brother out of the camouflaged prison. They didn't need an archangel to protect them. He would protect his brother just like always.

Sam looked at his brother confused. "You have been listening, right?"

"Yeah, you're in danger. What's new? One or both of us is always in danger. We always make it. We're not staying here and counting on this asshole to keep you safe," Dean said. Inwardly, he really just wanted his brother away from Gabriel. He wanted him out of their lives.

Sam could see what his brother was really doing. He was scared, just like Sam had been. He was scared Sam somehow loved Gabriel more than him or would one day. "Dean, being around Gabriel isn't going to change the way I feel about you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. You and I are just better on our own, definitely better than being locked up by a dick angel," Dean said.

A part of Sam wanted to defend Gabriel, but he worried that Dean would take it wrong, so he decided to reason with his brother instead. "Dean, it's better for us and the world if we stay hidden and this is the best place for that. We're masked by an archangel. Besides, even if you found a way out, Gabriel would find us. We share a bond. He could find me in seconds."

Dean looked kind of disturbed by that. "Are you serious? He can just think about you and know where you are?"

Sam nodded. "That's how he got around the sigil on my ribs. It doesn't work on him."

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll figure it out," Dean said before standing up and heading for the living room.

Sam let his brother go. He figured there was no point in arguing since Dean actually wouldn't figure it out. It was better to let it go for now.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer had promised his brother that he would not go after him and he fully intended to keep that promise. But he never promised not to find out what he was hiding. Gabriel was scared and that didn't sit right with Lucifer. There were very few things that should be able to scare an archangel. The only thing more powerful than them was their father. So it uneased him to know that his baby brother was so frightened. He needed to find out why.

This was why he'd made the decision to go through Sam's life, memory by memory. It wasn't hard. As an archangel, he had the power to find out everything he wanted just by focusing on that person in his mind. It had to be Sam, not Gabriel. It was almost impossible to do it with an angel. Lucifer knew this was connected to Sam, so the answer should be there somewhere.

Of course, Lucifer sort of felt like he was wasting his time, as he'd already seen a great deal of Sam's life. Well, the important parts anyway. He skipped over a lot of insignificant details, like his birth and parts of his childhood. Only things like the people in his life and major events had mattered.

Lucifer began his search, decided to start at the end and make his way to the beginning. He frowned slightly as he realized he couldn't see anything recent. The closest he could get was the night Sam freed him. That shouldn't be like that. He should be able to access any information regarding a human. He could only assume that Gabriel had done something, but he couldn't figure out what.

Putting his confusion aside, Lucifer continued to fish for information. It wasn't long before he got bored. There was nothing that seemed to connect Sam to Gabriel. That was of course until he got a peek at was dubbed Mystery Spot. Gabriel had used Dean as a learning tool for Sam. At first, Lucifer thought it was just a game and smiled a bit, but towards the end, it became clear that he had his own agenda. It was his first clue that something was was up with his brother and his vessel.

Lucifer soon got to their first meeting, which really wasn't helpful. There were no clues at all, so he kept digging. He couldn't find anymore signs of his brother. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't there. Lucifer was sifting through Sam's memories. If Sam never detected Gabriel, Lucifer wouldn't be able to know.

Lucifer began to get bored again as he went through Sam's childhood, finding absolutely nothing of value. In fact, he didn't find a thing until Sam's very early childhood, like toddler years. He caught a memory of a two-year-old Sam wondering out of the front door of his motel room while not being watched by his father who was sitting with his journal a few week away.

Gabriel appeared just as Sam reached the parking lot and scooped the boy up, muttering under his breath about 'freaking Winchester.'

Lucifer watched perplexed as his brother took the giggling toddler back to the motel room. His brother had been watching the boy for years, since he was a small child. Why would he do that? What did he have to do with Sam?

The memories continued. The next one hitting just after Mary Winchester died. Gabriel appeared in the room the two boys were put in and picked up Baby Sam, who was cooing happily while his older brother slept.

"I'm sorry. I should've been there tonight. I'm just happy it didn't do anything to you. Dad willing it didn't sense what you are. Man, what do I do now. Mary was supposed to take care of you. She knew and she could help you. Her husband's not gonna have the slightest clue. But I can't take you. It's too dangerous.

Baby Sam began to cry.

Gabriel shushed him. "It's okay. Daddy's got you."

The shock was so intense that it jolted Lucifer right back to reality. No, it wasn't possible. Gabriel hadn't done something so completely forbidden. He couldn't have. Gabriel might not be the perfect son Michael was. Hell, he'd even abandoned Heaven, but he wouldn't rebel, especially not like this. This kind of thing would even revel Lucifer's own rebellion. He wouldn't have done it.

However, it would explain his brother's fear. Gabriel had done what their brothers would've considered the worst possible thing and he and Sam would be condemned for it. Lucifer could already see the garrisons lining up to watch as Michael plunged his sword into both their hearts. Yes, it was no wonder Gabriel was scared. He'd committed a high crime in Heaven. He'd created a Nephilim.


	29. Chapter 29

Dean woke up the next morning and went out to the kitchen. He found Gabriel at the table. Sam didn't appear to be up yet. "Great, you're back," he said unenthusiastically. Gabriel must have come back after he and Sam went to sleep. Dean only wished he'd stayed along longer.

Gabriel smirked. "Aw, I missed you too. Don't worry, I'll never leave you again."

Dean just grunted and glared.

"Have a seat, kid. I think it's time we had a chat," Gabriel said.

"Why don't you kiss my ass instead?" Dean asked smartly.

"Well, that would be creepy don't you think? We're close to family," Gabriel said, knowing full well that it would piss the other man off.

Dean glared at him. "You're not my family! Or Sam's!"

"I beg to differ. Now, sit." It was no longer a request, but a command.

"Or what?" Dean challenged.

"There's no 'or'," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers. Dean disappeared and reappeared in a chair across from Gabriel.

Dean immediately went to get up, but was unable to move. "Let me up!"

"Sure, after we chat. Now, we're going to be spending a lot of time together, so I think we should clear the air," Gabriel said.

"We will get out of here," Dean swore.

"No, you won't. You're mine now, kid, and you've got no but yourself to blame for it. You should've behaved yourself. It's time you learned that actions have consequences," Gabriel said, partly mockingly and part serious. Dean needed to learn to think before he did stupid things. Sam had the same problem at times, but it was a big flaw of Dean's.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Dean said through gritted teeth.

"Like what?" Gabriel asked.

"Like a child!" He growled.

"Don't act like one then," Gabriel retorted. "Now, like I said, let's clear the air. I realize you're probably very unhappy about what you've recently learned."

"Nothing to be unhappy about. Nothing's changed," Dean said firmly.

"Good. I wouldn't expect anything less from you. I'd have to smite you if you told me otherwise," Gabriel said very seriously. "Sam has enough trouble dealing with what he is. You would've driven him over the edge if you turned your back."

"Sam is _my_ family. I'd never turn my back on him," Dean said.

Gabriel sighed dramatically. "Now, Dean, there is no reason to get territorial. I respect your place in Sam's life. Do me the same courtesy."

"Your place? You're his kidnapper! That's all you'll ever be to him!" Dean said angrily.

Gabriel glared slightly. He was trying to be patient and understanding, but the kid was starting to irritate him. "Watch it, kid. That is my son and you will respect that fact!"

"Yeah? Where the hell has his father been all his life! My father is his father!" Dean said firmly.

"Really? What has John Winchester done for him? Or you for that matter?" Gabriel asked.

"He raised him!" Dean said. Okay, so that wasn't really true, but his dad had still done more than Gabriel had.

"Nope! That was you, for which you have my respect. Even if you've acted like an idiot a lot of times, especially recently, your devotion to Sam earns you respect," Gabriel said.

Dean wasn't sure how to take the compliment. It was rare for someone to show him such respect for what he did for Sam when they were kids. Bobby did and so did Sam, but it was nice to hear from someone else too. However, he didn't want to feel any kind of gratitude or anything else besides hatred for this asshole. "Whatever. We've both done more than you."

"You have no idea what I've done! Don't presume to think you do!" Gabriel said with a growl. "I've pulled both of you out of many times over the years. Honestly, do you really think that two little boys being left in motel rooms most of their lives or hunting supernatural creatures wasn't going to end wrong a few times?"

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked confused.

"Well, let's see. There was Sam's first werewolf. That nearly got my kid killed," Gabriel said.

"I saved Sam," Dean said immediately. He remembered that attack. Gabriel was nowhere near them. He'd saved his brother and killed the werewolf.

"No, you didn't. You think you did because I altered your memory," Gabriel said before leaning forward and putting a hand on Dean's forehead, giving him the real memory.

Dean gasped as the memory hit him. He, his father, and his brother had been hunting a werewolf. He had gone with his Dad to look while Sam had gone solo. He'd hated that, but that was his father's order. His dad had sent Sam in another direction because he thought the werewolf would be where they were searching. He was wrong.

Dean had been on the phone with Sam, refusing to totally leave him, when it happened. He'd heard the werewolf, and then Sam scream. He'd ran after him, but he knew he'd be too late. He was too far away. When he got there, he found a man, Gabriel, there looking Sam over for injuries. The werewolf was dead. Before Dean could even say anything, Gabriel had touched his forward and the memory became something different.

"No," Dean said after it all sunk in.

Gabriel nodded. "One of quite a few."

"So then where were you when Sam was forced to drink demon blood? Or when his girlfriend was killed? How about when he freaking died?" Dean demanded.

Gabriel didn't let Dean see the guilt he felt. "I was there when I could be. I will however answer where I was when Jessica Moore was killed. I was following the two of you after you decided to clean up your father's mess. And let's go tit for tat, shall we? Where were you when Sam was away at school thinking you and your old man wanted nothing to do with him?"

"That's not true. He could never think that," Dean said. Inwardly though, he felt uncomfortable and guilty. Did his brother really think that? He knew he did with their father, but with Dean? He supposed he had a right to. Dean had never called him while he was at school, though Sam hadn't called him either. But he supposed he wouldn't if he thought Dean didn't want to hear from him.

"Oh, believe me, he did. I was with him. I was with him every day for months, though he didn't know it. He was in pain. How could he not be. His supposed father had just told him that if he went to school, he was no longer welcome. Yes, and that's the man you want me to consider my son's father. The man who thought getting an education was a sin. No, I don't think so," Gabriel said.

"Like you've been better? You tortured him! You made him watch me die over and over again!" Dean growled.

Gabriel gave him a hard, cold look. "You don't wanna go there with me, kid. You're just as much responsible for that as me. It's your deal that made it necessary."

"So I should've let him stay dead?" Dean asked.

"I didn't say you were wrong to do it. I'm grateful that you did it. The point is, you were going to die. Watching that was Sam's future. There was no way around it. I needed him to accept that. I needed him to let you go and see that he'd be alright. I wanted him to survive your death. You're familiar with tough love, yeah? That's all it was," Gabriel said.

"So killing me was the only way?" Dean asked.

"The only one I could think of. Of course, it didn't work. My boy's stubborn. I should've known he would be. He gets it from the same place he gets his Grace," Gabriel said.

Dean flinched at the angel's comment about Sam being his. "He's not yours!"

"Don't make this a competition, Dean. You'll just hurt Sam if you do and I won't let you do that. Sam is my son and he's your brother. We both just have to accept those facts. I do, you need to as well. You will, not just for Sam, but because you have a lot bigger problems than me. It may have escaped you, but angels are after both you and your brother. Michael would love nothing more than to take a trip in your skin. If he does that, he gains access to everything you know and he will come after Sam. I don't think either of us wants that," Gabriel said.

"That won't happen. I'll never say yes," Dean vowed. He definitely wouldn't now. He would never put his brother in danger like that. If Michael really would kill Sam because of what he was, then Gabriel was right about what would happen if Dean said yes.

"I might believe that if you hadn't already considered it," Gabriel said.

"I was trying to help my brother," Dean defended.

"And instead, you might have inadvertently gotten him killed. Same with your dumbass deal with Lucifer. That's why you're here and why you won't be leaving. But let's leave the topic at that. Back to what I was saying though. We have much bigger problems than your insecurities."

"I can protect my brother," Dean insisted.

Gabriel shook his head. "Lose the arrogance, Dean, before it gets you or Sam killed! You're dealing with archangels here, kid. We are far beyond your little hunts. If I wanted to, I could kill you right now with the snap of the fingers. So get over yourself right now!"

Dean raised an eyebrow. " _I'm_ arrogant."

"Yep! It's not arrogant to be aware of your power. My power is absolute. MIchael's is even more so. Start getting that fact," Gabriel warned.

"Fine, whatever," Dean said in a dismissive tone. "Are we done?"

"Nope. You're going to be here indefinitely, so I have some ground rules. I've already said this already, but no praying to angels," Gabriel said.

"Fine. It's not like I make a habit of praying anyway," Dean said.

"Only one more. You're not gonna interfere with Sam and me. I'm trying to help him learn his powers and teach him how to use them and I won't have you interfering," Gabriel said firmly. He knew Dean accepted Sam himself, but he wasn't so sure he accepted what Sam was and what it meant. He was a hunter after all and might consider angel powers to be wrong

"You want me to trust you with my brother? To let you do with him as you please? Screw you," Dean said.

"It was not a request! You will back off in this regard! And you will refrain from making Sam choose between you and me," Gabriel said steely. He knew what it felt like to be in that position. Michael and Lucifer had constantly put him and Raphael in the middle of their fights. It would tear him apart. He wouldn't allow his own son to feel that.

Before Dean could respond, they both heard Sam come out.

"Hey. Is everything okay?" Sam asked when he walked out to the kitchen and saw the tense looks between Gabriel and Dean.

"It's fine," Gabriel said with a smirk.

Sam had a hard time believing that, but he decided that he didn't want to know what had gone down anyway. He probably wouldn't like what he heard.

"Come sit and we'll eat quickly. I wanna get some training done today," Gabriel said.

Sam groaned. "You said two days. It's only been one."

"I said I'd give you two days to figure out what you wanted to say to Dean. You already did, so there's no reason to wait any longer," Gabriel said.

Sam grumbled and made his way to the table just in time for Gabriel to conjure up breakfast for all of them.


	30. Chapter 30

About an hour later, Dean found himself in some sort of workout gym. Although there was no actual equipment. It was just an empty Gym.

Gabriel snapped up the usual table with the protective gear and water bottles, as well as an additional table and chairs for Dean to sit at. "Okay, Dean, have a seat."

Sam, meanwhile, started getting ready. He grabbed head padding and gloves and started putting them on.

Dean's eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen. He probably should've known before, as boxing was a big part of training in his family, but he really didn't think Gabriel would be that stupid, or Sam for that matter. "No freaking way! You're not throwing swings at my brother!"

Gabriel took a few steps forward, getting in Dean's personal space. "Here's the deal. You either sit down and shut up on your own or I stick you to a chair and cut off your voice. I told you not to interfere and you won't,"

"Don't be an ass, Gabriel," Sam said.

Dean couldn't help the small smirk that hit his face at his brother's words.

"You either, Dean. It's not a big deal. We're just going to spar. It's no different than when we would have to do it with Dad," Sam tried to appease.

"Of course it's different! He's a freaking archangel. He could kill you with one punch," Dean said.

Gabriel glared at him so hard that it gave the 'if looks could kill' expression a new meaning. "Never insinuate that I would hurt my son again!"

Sam walked over and put a hand on the archangel's shoulder, hoping it would calm him down. "Dean, he doesn't go above human strength. I'll be fine."

"If that's the case then it doesn't matter who you train with. Do it with me. I'll kick your ass like old times," Dean said as he began taking off his black button down so he was only in his gray t-shirt."

Gabriel, who had calmed down some laughed. "If he were to realized his full strength, he'd leave your face with a big dent in it. Hell, he'd probably do a lot of damage just with the strength he's gained."

"Gabriel's right. I won't risk hurting you. Him, I can't hurt," Sam said. He didn't like doing it at all. It scared him to think about what he'd be able to do with super strength. It scared him to know that at some point his very hands could become lethal weapons, even more so than for any other human. So there was no way he'd risk fighting with Dean.

"Take a seat, kid and watch," Gabriel instructed.

Dean very grudgingly went over and sat down. He watched the two of them very intently, to see if his brother would get hurt. He didn't know why. There wasn't much he could do about and it wasn't something he wanted to see, but he couldn't turn away.

The first time Sam went down, Dean felt like he'd been the one to get hit. He felt like someone had punched his chest, afraid that his brother was hurt. But Sam had laughed and gotten right back into it, making Dean relax a little.

Dean began focusing on the blows his brother sent. They looked pretty strong and GabrielThe seemed to be reacting to them just a little bit. It was both weird and exciting to watch. His brother was keeping an archangel on his toes, even if just a little bit.

Sam was getting into it now, forgetting his fears, as had started happening when he started to lose himself into a training session. He wished he hadn't though when he landed his next punch. It was the strongest one he'd ever thrown and it sent Gabriel clear across the room, causing him to hit and crack the wall just a few feet away from Dean.. "Gabriel!"

Dean looked on in shock as his brother sent the mother of all freaking punches and Gabriel hit the wall. He knew how strong Gabriel was. He'd been in the dude's grip before. It seemed almost stronger than iron, yet with one punch, Sam had cleaned his clock.

Sam was not at all happy with what he did. He took off his gloves and ran to his father to help him up. "Gabriel, are you okay."

A slightly dazed Gabriel took Sam's hand and got to his feet. "Wow! I knew you would be strong, but I didn't think you could give me a run for my money."

"I'm sorry," Sam said immediately. He hadn't meant to hit that hard. This was why he didn't like training and why he'd tried to hold back in the beginning. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He didn't want these powers.

"Sorry? You did great, kid," Gabriel said with a proud smile on his face.

"Yeah, Sammy, that was awesome!" Dean said. He couldn't help being happy about Gabriel taking a little dive. Plus, this would definitely help with hunts. He wasn't sure how he'd feel about any other powers, but this was cool. And even with other powers, while he might not feel comfortable with them, he would support his brother.

"It was not awesome, Dean! I could kill someone!" Sam exclaimed.

"Well, that's another reason to train. This way you'll be able to control your strength," Gabriel reasoned.

Sam shook his head vigorously. There was no way in hell this got to happen again. He was done. All he wanted to do now was hide away from everyone so he couldn't hurt them. He'd thrown a punch that had hurt an archangel. What could he do to a human. "No, I'm not doing this anymore. You can't force me to! I won't risk hurting someone!"

"Sit down," Gabriel said while pointing to the chair Dean had vacated.

"No, I'm not do…"

"Sit!" Gabriel ordered loudly.

Sam sighed and walked over to the table and sit down.

Gabriel went to the other table grabbed a bottle of water, and brought it over to Sam. "Drink that and take a few minutes to calm down."

Sam did as he was told. His hand shook as he lifted the water bottle to his mouth and started drinking.

Dean put a supportive hand on his brother's shoulder, but didn't say a word. He reluctantly decided not to interfere with whatever Gabriel was planning now. He seemed to know what he was doing and Sam was really freaked out. He didn't need Dean fighting with Gabriel right now.

Gabriel made his way to a chair right in front of Sam. He could tell that the kid was still very shaken and wanted to bolt. "It's alright. Just take some deep breaths. Let me know when you're ready."

"I...I don't wanna do this anymore," Sam said after a couple of minutes. He was more calm, but his position hadn't changed.

Gabriel had a flashback. He remembered saying something similar the first time he'd lost control of his powers as a fledgling. He uttered the same words that were said to him. "Not gonna happen, kid."

"Please," Sam begged.

Gabriel leaned forward. "I know what just happened scares you. I know how it feels to lose control of your strength and accidently hurt someone."

Sam snorted, clearly skeptical on that.

"Every angel has had to learn to use their powers, Sam. We were created with the gifts, but not the control of them. It took me a while to gain control. One day I was fighting with Raphael. He could be an antagonistic little dick when he wanted. I pushed him hard and he ended up at least a hundred feet away. He'd hurt his arm. I felt terrible," Gabriel explained. Actually, this situation was strangely similar to this one. The only difference was that he hadn't been training at the time.

"Really? What happened?" Sam wondered.

"Well, Michael and Lucifer heard the scuffle and came to help. As they were tending to Raphael, I ran and locked myself in my room. Lucifer came and found me. I told him that I didn't want to use my powers anymore. I felt terrible that I'd hurt my brother and I didn't want anything to do with something that could cause that," he said.

"What he did?" Sam wondered.

"The same thing I'm doing now. He forced me to calm down and made me see that what I did wasn't bad. I just needed more control," Gabriel said. He was a little uncomfortable talking about that time in his life, but he didn't care. He would deal with some mild discomfort if it helped his son.

Dean stared in disbelief. It was hard to imagine the Devil sitting a kid down and comforting him. It was the Devil. The Devil wasn't supposed to be comforting. He would think that the dude would at his kindest tell the kid to get over it.

The explanation actually made Sam feel a little bit better. He wasn't the first person to lose control and nearly cause a lot of damage. But it still scared him and he didn't want anything to do with this or any other power. "No. If I stop now, I can't hurt anyone."

"Or it could be worse. Your powers are going to manifest themselves whether you practice them or not. If you choose to ignore them, you just don't have control over them, and with a gift like super strength, that can be dangerous. You need to work on them," Gabriel said firmly.

Dean hated to admit it, but Gabriel didn't seem like the dick Trickster/Archangel he had before. He sounded like a father. Not the one he and Sam had had. He sounded the way a father was supposed to when his son was upset. Of course, that didn't sit right with Dean at all. It was selfish, but he wanted Gabriel to a heartless asshole because they he'd know for sure he wouldn't lose his brother to him.

"Do I have to?" Sam asked. He knew he sounded like a child, but at this point he didn't care.

"Afraid so, son," Gabriel said.

Sam sighed. "Can we at least stop for today?"

Gabriel nodded and stood up. They usually went for longer, but he would not ask his son to go again after such a trauma. "Yeah, let's go home. You should rest."

Sam got up immediately, eager to get out of there.

Gabriel banished everything and then turned back to his son. "Just so you know, there's nothing wrong with what happened today. You didn't hurt me. In fact, I'm proud of you."

Despite the fear he felt, Sam also felt happy at those words. He hadn't been knowingly looking to hear those words, but apparently some part of him wanted to. "Thanks."

Gabriel snapped his fingers and transported the three of them back to the house.


	31. Chapter 31

Dean approached his brother's room. It had been a day since Sam had had his panic attack after literally sending Gabriel across the room. Unsurprisingly, Sam had locked himself in his room. When something that Sam didn't want to deal with happened, he shut himself off. He'd been that way since he was a kid. The only way he'd deal with it was if he was made to, and that's what Dean planned to do now. He'd left his brother alone yesterday, but now it was time to end this.

Dean knocked on Sam's door. "Sammy."

"Go away, Dean," Sam said from behind the door.

"Hell no," Dean said before going to turn the doorknob. Unfortunately, he found the door locked. "Really? Come on, open the door."

"No. Leave me alone," Sam said.

"This is childish, Sam. This is what you used to do when we were kids and Dad pissed you off or some dick at school was an even bigger dick than usual," Dean said. While his brother couldn't always lock himself in a bedroom, he'd find alternatives, like using the bathroom or even occasionally locking Dean out of the motel room when he was a teenager.

Sam didn't reply.

"Dude, I can have Gabriel unlock it," Dean warned. He was reluctant to do that since he hated Gabriel and didn't want to ask him for anything, especially where Sam was concerned. Besides, Gabriel wasn't there at the moment," Dean said.

Sam huffed and then got up and opened the door. "Would you just leave me alone?"

Dean pushed himself inside in response. "Look, man, I get this is freaking you out."

"Don't freaking tell me you get anything about this!" Sam snapped before slamming the door shut. "Are you the one showing powers you know nothing about? No, that's me. It has always been me!"

"Fine, you're right, but this isn't like before, okay? It's not bad," Dean said.

"How do you know? No one can tell me what I'll be like when these powers fully manifest. Oh, actually that's wrong. About a thousand angels will tell me that I'll be evil. I'm an abomination," Sam said.

"Don't call yourself that! What those assholes think about you is crap! You're not evil, Sammy. I think the fact that this has you so freaked out is proof. Evil doesn't care that it's evil," Dean said.

"You seemed to think I wasn't far from it a few months ago," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I was a dick a few months ago. I let what we'd been taught about supernatural creatures keep me remembering who you were. All I saw was the demon blood and freaky powers that weren't human. Yeah, I was right about it that time, but it wasn't the point. You weren't evil even then and I should've gotten that," Dean said. He never regretted anything than what he'd said to Sam the day Sam had gone off with Ruby for the last time. He'd called him a monster. He hated that he'd said such an awful thing, especially now that it was helping Sam think badly about himself and what he was.

"But what if you were right. I don't know what I am, Dean. I don't know what will happen. Even if I'm just like your typical angel, it still means something bad," Sam said. There were only two angels so far that weren't complete douchebags, Cas and Gabriel. So even if he was like just a normal angel, he was pretty bad.

Dean waved that comment off. "Angels are dicks because they think they're better than humans. You don't think that. You know, maybe that's why they're so afraid. Maybe they think nephilims will choose humans over angels."

Sam couldn't help but laugh at his brother's theory. "I'm pretty sure that's not it."

Just then there was a knock before the door opened, revealing Gabriel. "Hey, Boys. Come out into the kitchen. We've got company."

"I'm good," Sam said. He knew company meant Cas, and while usually he wouldn't mind seeing the angel, he wasn't up for company right now.

"It wasn't a request. No more sulking. Let's go," Gabriel said firmly.

"Hey, don't talk to him like he's a kid," Dean said. While he was all for Sam getting the hell out of that room, he didn't want Gabriel thinking he could tell him what to do like a child. Dean could do that if he wanted, but that was his right. Gabriel didn't get to.

Sensing a fight coming, Sam decided to relent. He didn't have any energy to try to break up a fight between Gabriel and Dean. "Okay, fine, I'll come out."

Gabriel led the way out to the kitchen where Castiel was waiting.

"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel said.

Dean sighed. He hated apologizing, but he knew he owed Cas one for the way he treated him after the Lucifer thing. "Look, I was a dick the last time we spoke."

"Yes, I agree with you," Castiel said simplyThe.

That wasn't the reaction Dean expected, though he should've. Cas didn't placate or sugarcoat things. It wasn't that he had anything against it, he just didn't know how to respond to anything without brutal honesty.

Gabriel snickered at his brother's lack of tact. Castiel wasn't trying to seem unreasonable or unforgiving. He just didn't know how humans usually reacted to such statements and it was great. Well, right now it was anyway.

"I'm sorry for what I said, Cas. You were protecting my brother and I wouldn't see that. I was an ass," Dean said.

"I accept your apology. I can understand why you would call me a traitor, as I did lie to you, however, I will not apologize for my actions, including bringing Gabriel to you. You were becoming a danger, both in your plans in giving in to MIchael and then going to Lucifer. Those were very foolish things," Castiel said.

"Okay, bro, Dean's learned his lesson. Let's stop beating the dead horse," Gabriel said.

Castiel frowned at his brother. "There is a dead horse on the premises? Why would have a dead horse?"

All three of the other occupants in the room rolled their eyes. "Figure of speech, Cas. I'm going to start writing them down and make you memorize them," Dean said.

"Can I go now? I don't mean to be rude, Cas. It's great to see you, but I'm not in the mood to be around anyone right now," Sam said.

Castiel frowned once more. "I don't understand. Gabriel specifically said that you were in need of familial support. Why would he say this if you did not wish to see anyone?"

"Ugh! There is so much I have to teach you, brother. You're like having a second child. Scratch that. He's like having a second child," Gabriel said pointing at Dean. "You're like having a third child. And, no, Sam, you can't go. I think it's time for the four of us to bond a little."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Bond? No freaking way!"

Gabriel smiled and slung an arm around Dean's shoulders, which Dean tried and failed to shake off. "Oh, Dean, I think it's most important for you and I to bond. I feel like we're just not clicking."

"A fact I'm eternally grateful for," Dean grumbled. It occurred to him that this was really all just for Sam, to get him to relax and forget, but the word 'bond' was involved, as was Gabriel and he wanted nothing to do with either of them, especially connected.

Sam snickered at his brother's expense.

Gabriel finally released Dean and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the kitchen table turned into a poker table and was equipped with a deck of cards and poker chips. "Well, what do you guys say?"

"I don't suppose you'd accept no," Sam said. His mood was improving slightly, but he'd still rather hole up in the bedroom.

"Nope!" Gabriel said with a smile.

"Eh, it could be worse. Come on, Sammy. We'll take the two angels down and then I'll kick your ass," Dean said, much more willing to participate now that he knew what they'd be doing.

"Fine," Sam relented before letting Dean lead him to the table.

Gabriel did the same with Castiel. "Come on, bro."

"I don't understand. What are we doing?" Gabriel asked.

"Card game, Cas, which usually involves taking everyone's money. I'm guessing this one will just involve me taking your chips," Dean said as he started shuffling the cards.

"I do not understand the purpose of such a thing," Castiel said as he was guided into a chair. "I should be looking for Father."

"Yeah, because there's a lot of purpose in that," Gabriel said sarcastically before sitting down beside his brother.

"Hey, we agree on something. We're bonding already," Dean said dryly before he began dealing.

"I don't even know how to play this game," Castiel said.

"Well, watch Big Brother. I'll teach you what you need to know," Gabriel said before picking up his cards.

Castiel stared at his brother unsure. "I am not certain that's in my best interest."

 **A/N: I know Lucifer has been absent these last few chapters and after such a shocking reveal. Don't worry, he will return shortly, probably next chapter and his absence will be explained.**


	32. Chapter 32

Castiel was standing in an abandoned building. He'd received a call from Bobby Singer asking to meet. The hunter had said something about needed help on a hunt he'd taken. Though as he stood there, there was no sign of Bobby.

"Castiel."

Castiel turned around to find a man in his late twenties with dark, wavy brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a longsleeve shirt and blue jeans. Of course, calling him a man wasn't accurate. The vessel in front of Castiel was engulfed in Lucifer's Grace.

"Forgive the deception, Brother. It was the easiest way," Lucifer said.

"You changed your vessel," Castiel stated nervously. There was no reason Lucifer would need to change his vessel. Yes, the one he'd been using was extremely incompatible and slowly falling apart, but he was doable. It made more sense for Lucifer to stick with what he had until he could use Sam. Unless Lucifer knew that he couldn't use Sam.

"Yes. I've spent the last few days searching for someone like my friend Paul. It isn't perfect, but he'll do. I won't destroy him," Lucifer said. As soon as he got over the mind blowing shock of what Sam Winchester truly was, he'd realized that Sam was incapable of housing him. He'd immediately started looking for someone that could. He refused to believe that he would simply be vesselless. Again, this was not perfect, far from what a true vessel should be like, but it worked. His vessel clearly of the same bloodline as the Winchester family.

"Would you not wait for Sam?" Castiel asked.

Lucifer smirked. "Brothers shouldn't try to fool each other, Castiel. Let's stop pretending that I don't know Sam can't hold me."

It was pretty clear to Castiel that Lucifer knew, but he wasn't willing to give anything until he got confirmation. He would not betray Gabriel and Sam. "Sam is your vessel."

"Let me ask you something, Castiel. Please, don't lie to make me feel better either. I can take constructive criticism. Do you think I'll be a good uncle. I mean, I personally see myself as being good at it. I've never been one, but I know the basic characteristics and I think I can manage it. The only problem is that I don't think Sam likes me. But I could change that, right?" Lucifer asked.

Castiel cringed. That was his confirmation. Lucifer knew that Sam was a nephilim. He was not sure how he'd found out, but he had. If Castiel lived through this meeting, he needed to warn Gabriel. "You will not hurt him."

"Of course not, Castiel. Sam is my family, as much as he's yours. I wouldn't harm him," Lucifer said, being serious for the first time since he'd met with Castiel. He'd had a lot of time to think on all of this. It was clear to him how Michael would react. There was no question he'd strike them both down without a second thought, just as he would with Lucifer himself. Hell, his older brother had already betrayed him once by casting him down. Lucifer would not do that. He would not be the brother Michael was. He would not betray his baby brother.

Castiel eyed Lucifer distrustfully. "You wish for me to believe you're on their side?"

Lucifer sighed dramatically. "I understand, Brother. You don't trust me. You've been taught since a mere fledgling that I am evil. Normally, I'd try to persuade you otherwise, but this isn't about me. For once, I'm willing to concede that. Look, evil or not, what is my purpose for hurting Sam. He has done nothing to me. Hell, he released me. I owe him. Why would I want to hurt him? Father's orders? It is not as if I haven't defied them before."

"What do you want?" Castiel asked.

"I want to speak to Gabriel," Lucifer said simply. If he truly wanted, he could find his brother and then get some human to gain him access. It wouldn't be as easy as when he planned to use Dean Winchester, but it was more than possible. But he'd promised Gabriel he wouldn't. If he expected any kind of trust from his younger brother, he at the very least needed to keep his word.

"I won't take you to him," Castiel said firmly. He couldn't anyway, but that wasn't the point. Even if he had the ability, he would not lead Lucifer to Gabriel and Sam.

"I doubt you could, but that's not what I want. I have no desire to ambush Gabriel and put him on the defense. All I want is for you to do what you planned to anyway. We both know that as soon as you left here, you were planning to go to him. I want you go to him and tell him that I know the truth. I want you to tell him all of what we've spoken about and then tell him that I'd like to speak with him personally. Ask him to meet me right here. Go," Lucifer urged.

Castiel looked at him for a minute and then disappeared.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"He knows?!" Gabriel exploded after hearing what Castiel had to say. They were in their usual meeting place. Castiel had just told him about his encounter with Lucifer.

"Yes. I don't know how, but he found out. He even changed his vessel, knowing Sam wasn't a possibility," Castiel said.

"Damn it!" Gabriel exclaimed. Realistically, he knew with the apocalypse started, he wouldn't be able to keep this a secret much longer, but knowing that didn't stop him from trying or from freaking out now that it was coming out. Lucifer knew, and he could potentially hurt Sam. Gabriel had to stop that.

"He says he doesn't wish to hurt Sam," Castiel relayed. He was highly skeptical about everything Lucifer said, but he did want Gabriel to know everything.

Gabriel wanted to believe that, but it was one hell of a gamble and he didn't gamble with Sam. Never. Lucifer might be telling the truth, but he might also be lying to get to Sam. How could Gabriel trust him? "What did he want? He didn't meet with you just to tell you he knew."

"No. I wanted me to persuade you into seeing him. He asked me to tell you all of this and then ask for you to meet him. I did so thus far because I would have anyway. I would not have you unprepared. But I don't think it's wise to go to him. He says he won't hurt Sam, but he is the devil," Castiel said.

Gabriel felt the urge to argue that it wasn't that simple. As he'd told Sam, he never agreed with Lucifer's fall. His actions in Heaven had never been evil, even if they had been less than great after he fell, and he'd always been a good brother. That was why Gabriel wanted to believe Lucifer was telling the truth about not wanting to hurt Sam now. It was why he was willing to at least entertain the idea, though he was still very skeptical. "That's all he said?"

"Yes. I urge you not to do this though, Brother. I don't know that he's telling the truth. You may not come back if you go," Castiel said.

"Or I may come back with a new ally," Gabriel said. That was another reason he was willing to entertain the idea of Lucifer telling the truth. Not only would he love to have his big brother on his side, but it would give him a much better chance in protecting Sam. Lucifer was almost as powerful as Michael. "But your concern is why I'm going to send you back to the boys before I go. If I don't come back, you have to protect my son."

"Gabriel…"

"Tell me where he is, Castiel," Gabriel commanded. His mind was made up. He was going. He and Lucifer would either form an alliance or one of them would end up dead, but he was going.

Castiel reluctantly gave him the address.

Gabriel teleported his brother to his house and then went to meet Lucifer for possibly the last time.


	33. Chapter 33

Sam and Dean were in the living room watching TV, Sam laying on the couch and Dean reclining in the chair, when Castiel appeared in front of them.

Dean jumped as soon as he saw him. "Dude, come on!"

Sam didn't seem phased. After the amount of times Gabriel and Cas did it over the last few weeks, he was finally getting used to it. "Hey, Cas. What are you doing here? Where's Gabriel?"

Castiel was hesitant. Gabriel had not told him to hide his meeting with Lucifer, but he wasn't sure his older brother wanted the boys to know.

"What, Cas?" Sam asked as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. The angel looked hesitant and also quite worried, which of course worried Sam.

"I am unsure if Gabriel would want me to tell you," Cas said frankly.

Dean narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I don't care what that asshole wants! Tell us what's going on!"

"Please, Cas. We have a right to know," Sam said.

"Yes, I believe you do. Lucifer contacted me, pretending to be Bobby on the phone to trick me. I met with him. He knows everything," Castiel said.

Dean kicked in the bottom of the recliner and stood up. "He knows about Sam?"

"Yes. He has even chosen a new vessel, as he knows Sam is no longer his perfect one," Castiel told them.

Sam took a couple of breaths. This wasn't good. This could be the beginning of what Gabriel had been warning him about, his possible death and the end of the world. Unless Lucifer sided with them as Gabriel hoped, but Sam found it hard to believe he would. He found it hard to believe that Lucifer would help anyone but himself.

Dean, meanwhile, cursed silently. This was his fault. He'd stupidly gotten Lucifer involved. True, the Devil already knew something, but it was probably his last confrontation with Gabriel that led him to figure out the truth and that had happened because Gabriel and Cas had to stop Dean from helping him.

"Where's Gabriel?" Sam asked.

"He went to meet with Lucifer," Castiel answered.

Sam's eyes widened and he abruptly stood up. "He went after him?! Lucifer could kill him!"

"Yes, I warned him of such a thing, but he would not listen. He intends to find out where Lucifer stands and do what needs to be done to protect you. This is why he's sent me here. So that I can protect you if he is killed," Castiel explained.

"No, go after him! Help him, Cas!" Sam demanded.

"I will not do that, Sam. My brother has asked that I keep his son safe. That is my responsibility," Castiel said.

"I don't care what he asked! I'm not in danger, he is! You can't leave him to be killed!" Sam exclaimed, extremely worried for Gabriel. He couldn't hide it even to himself anymore. Gabriel mattered to Sam. He couldn't say that he totally saw him as a father, but he definitely wasn't an enemy anymore.

Dean eyed his brother. It was clear from the fear in his eyes and in his voice that his brother cared deeply for Gabriel. It was somewhat clear before, but Dean hoped to put a stop to that. He'd hoped to get his brother away from the archangel to stop any relationship they might build. Because although he didn't want to admit it, Dean felt threatened by it. But it was obviously too late. Gabriel had already reached his brother's heart.

"There is little I could do anyway, Sam. I am no match for Lucifer. I could not help Gabriel if Lucifer decided to kill him. All I would do is get killed with him and then no one would be able to protect you," Castiel said. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that Sam and Dean would be left unprotected if the worst happened, he would go. Yes, it would mean the end of his life, but at least he would've tried to save his brother.

"Is Gabriel a match for Lucifer?" Dean asked, wondering if maybe this could work in their favor and a lesser problem could be handled. And with that thought, Dean realized that the Devil was considered the lesser evil. How freaking bad was that?

"Possibly. Lucifer would be more powerful than Gabriel, as he is older, but Gabriel is determined. He will use everything at his disposal to protect Sam," Castiel said.

"He could get killed!" Sam said stressed. He wanted to help Gabriel. Cas wouldn't do it because he was under orders from Gabriel and there was no one else who could. Sam wished he could do something. He wanted to find Gabriel and help him.

Castiel was about to say something to his nephew when he disappeared right in front of him, shocking both him and Dean.

"Sammy! Where the hell is he?" Dean demanded to know.

It took Castiel only seconds to realize what had happened. Sam had discovered a new power, probably without even realizing it. His distress probably activated it. "He teleported."

"Where? We have to find him," Dean said.

"I will find him," Castiel promised.

"No, I'm coming with you," Dean said firmly. He wasn't' sitting around while his brother was missing. No freaking way.

"No, you are not. I don't know where Sam went. Sam most likely has no control over where he's teleporting, which means finding him will be hard. I cannot do it someone joining. I will go alone," Castiel said before disappearing without a word, leaving a very angry and worried Dean Winchester.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Lucifer was waiting on his brother. He knew that Gabriel would come. There was no doubt. Gabriel would not be able to hear that he knew the truth and not come to figure out his intentions.

Lucifer took a seat while he waited. He'd changed the environment slightly. It was the same place, but he had the power to make it not such a dump. It now looked like he was in a spacious, homey living room. It had a large blue couch and a couple of matching arm chairs, as well as a glass coffee table that Lucifer had his feet on.

It wasn't long before Gabriel appeared, blade already in hand.

"Brother. I know I've asked you this before, but do we really need the blade?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes," was all Gabriel said.

Lucifer shrugged. "If it makes you feel better. Have a seat?" Lucifer said, gesturing to one of the chairs.

"I'm fine where I am," Gabriel said shortly.

Lucifer sighed. "I just want to talk, Gabriel. Please sit down. Let's talk as brothers," Lucifer requested.

Reluctantly, Gabriel made his way over and sat down in one of the chairs. He kept his blade between them, pointing the tip at Lucifer. "I see you've found a workable vessel."

"Yes. I figured I should start looking elsewhere when I realized Sam wasn't viable. I must say, it was a bit of a blow to learn that," Lucifer said.

"How'd you find out?" Gabriel asked.

"I took a little peek into Sam's past," Lucifer said.

Gabriel seethed at his brother's admission. Lucifer had pried into Sam's life, seen things that no one should see, and Gabriel included himself in that. He had no right. "You son of a bitch! How dare you violate his privacy like that?!"

"I needed to know what was going on. You were afraid. I needed to know why," Lucifer said, without much care for his brother's anger.

"You said you'd stay out of it," Gabriel reminded him.

"No, I said I wouldn't come after you. I didn't. All I did was get information. I have to say, this was not where I expected it to lead. I don't understand what you were thinking, Gabriel. I mean, I am sure it was an accident, but you should've been more careful, or stayed away from the mud monkeys in general," Lucifer said.

Gabriel glared at him. "I will never be sorry for what happened! And who the hell are you to lecture me about rules!"

"This isn't about rules! I don't give a damn that you basically stuck your finger up at the old man's rules. In fact, I find it funny that you would. But you've condemned yourself! You know what will happen if Michael finds out. I know you realize this because I saw your fear. Hell, I still see it," Lucifer said.

"I don't give a damn what Michael does to me. It's not me I'm afraid for," Gabriel said.

"I know it's not. Wow, even now, it's mind blowing. Sam was never human. Azazel placed demon blood in a being with Grace. That should've killed him. It would've any other angel. You should be grateful that he's part human," Lucifer commented.

"So should you!" Gabriel hissed. He was seriously pissed that his brother had had that demon put his blood in Sam. If he'd lost his son because of it, he would've killed Lucifer.

"Why didn't stop him? Sam? Maybe you didn't know at first, but when angels started showing up, you must have known where it was leading," Lucifer said.

"Of course I did. It was too late. There were too many angels around. If I'd revealed myself then, I risked them finding out the truth," Gabriel said. What he should've done was stop Ruby when she started feeding Sam blood, but even then, his brothers were around some and he worried about more danger. The demon blood tainted Sam and gave him a high, but it was better than angels being after his ass.

Lucifer nodded. "But when Castiel hid him with sigils, you had your chance."

"Let's get to the point, Lucifer. Why did you ask me here? What are your plans?" Gabriel asked.

"I asked you here to let you know that I'm on your side, like I promised the last time. I want to help you," Lucifer said.

"Why should I believe that?" Gabriel asked.

Lucifer sighed. "I realize that given the situation, you'd find it hard to trust me, but is it honestly that hard to believe that I would side with you. I raised you, Gabriel. I was there for your more than anyone, wasn't I?"

"Except when you were at Michael's throat," Gabriel couldn't help but point out.

Lucifer wasn't phased by the comment. He knew it would come sooner or later. Gabriel had always been bitter about his feud with Michael. "But you believe I'd hurt you?"

Gabriel laughed humorlessly. "You think you haven't already? You and Michael drove me from my home! It wasn't just Michael, it was you too! I begged you to stop and you wouldn't! You didn't care who the hell got in your way!" He didn't want things to happen like this. He hadn't intended on revisiting the past, but he couldn't help it now that he was actually in a room with Lucifer. The pain and bitterness came right back.

"Well, I guess you didn't mean it when you said you didn't care the last time we spoke," Lucifer said.

"Of course not! No matter how much of a douchebag you are, I'll always care! But Sam is my son and I will break through both you and Michael if I have to! No one will ever lay a hand on my son!" Gabriel vowed, raising his blade slightly for emphasis.

Lucifer could hear the fierceness in his brother's voice in reference to his son. Gabriel loved Sam more than anything and he would never let anyone hurt him. Lucifer couldn't help but envy Sam. He had a father that would never harm him, no matter how much he disagreed with him. He would never ostracize him because he disobeyed. Gabriel might get angry, but he'd always forgive. "Then you are a good father. I don't want to be against you brother. You have my word that I will never harm your son."

"How can I believe you? My son is part human. I know how you feel about humans."

Lucifer waved him off. "Eh, that small part can be overlooked."

"Can it?" Gabriel asked, annoyed that his brother considered the human in his son to be a flaw, even one that he was willing to overlook. There was nothing wrong with his son. No, he wasn't perfect, but no being was, and there certainly wasn't anything wrong with what he was, be it human or angel.

"Yes. I actually liked Sam. It makes sense why now. He's not human. He's not a mud monkey. The small piece of him that is like them is outweighed by his Grace. The point is, I want to help. You will need my help with Michael. You know that he will not be understanding," Lucifer said.

Gabriel wasn't sure if he could believe him. He wanted to and he was very close to it, but he wasn't sure. Lucifer didn't usually lie, but that didn't mean he wasn't now. What if he trusted him with Sam and they were betrayed?

Gabriel was saved from making that decision when Castiel appeared behind Lucifer. "Castiel, what the hell are you doing here?"

Lucifer turned around. "Oh, hello, Brother."

Gabriel glared at his younger brother. "I told you to stay with Sam and Dean."

"It was my intention to, but there is a problem. Sam's gone," Castiel said.

Gabriel jumped up from his seat and advanced on Lucifer with his blade, preparing to strike. "What the hell did you do? You bring me here and have some demon make a move on my kid?!"

Lucifer stood up and quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Gabriel, I haven't done anything. I knew nothing about this."

"He is telling the truth. Sam left on his own," Castiel said quickly.

"What? That isn't possible," Gabriel said.

"He teleported. I don't think he did it intentionally, but he managed it," Castiel said.

Gabriel lowered his blade and looked at Castiel in shock. "What? What happened?"

"He became agitated when I told him you were meeting Lucifer."

"You shouldn't have told him that!" Gabriel growled.

"I apologize, but Sam made the point that he deserved to know. Anyway, he wanted for me to come help you, but I told him I wouldn't. Seconds later, he disappeared. I have searched for him in places he's been in the past, like Bobby's, but I can't find him. I can't sense his Grace unless he's close. We can't with any angel. Since he doesn't know what he's doing, he could be anywhere right now," Castiel said concerned.

"I'll find him," Gabriel said. He sensed for him and then prepared to go. He had Sam's location. Well, sort of. Sam's position kept changing. He didn't know what he was doing and was apparently teleporting from one location to another

"Will you let me help you, Brother?" Lucifer asked.

"I don't need help. I can sense him without having being close. There's nowhere he can go that I won't find him. I'll think about what you've said," Gabriel said before disappearing.


	34. Chapter 34

Gabriel had been following Sam around for about an hour. Every time he got a location on the kid, he teleported again. It was getting frustrating and worrisome. Sam was hidden from angels, but eventually, one of them would notice that there was an angel teleporting all over the world. And Sam was teleporting all over the word. His last stop was in freaking Aruba!

Gabriel knew that if he could get to Sam for just a moment, he could block his teleporting, but he had to actually find him and be in his presence for that, which was proving difficult.

The next place Gabriel followed Sam to was a park in Canada, which once again, by the time he got there, the kid was gone. "Damn it! Come on, Sammy, stay still for a second!" He said in frustration before disappearing again.

The next spot was a club in California. Thankfully, it was so full that no one would notice men appearing out of nowhere. Also, thankfully, Sam managed to spot long enough for him to get to him and block him.

Gabriel grabbed Sam's arm, alerting the younger man to his presence.

Sam had never been so happy to see Gabriel before, not only because he was worried about him, but also because whatever was happening was freaking him out. "Gabriel! I can't stop!"

Gabriel nodded and wordlessly pulled him towards the exit. No one had noticed them come in, but he wasn't going to try teleporting out with this crowd. Most of his brothers wouldn't care about such a thing, hell, at one point, he wouldn't either, but he was trying not to draw attention from Heaven. Plus, teleporting with Sam without his knowledge right now might freak him out even more.

As soon as they were outside, Sam turned to his father. "I don't know what happened. One minute I was with Dean and Cas and then I was somewhere else. And then I was somewhere else, again and again. I couldn't stay in one place for more than a couple of seconds. Sometimes not even that long!"

"Yeah, I know. I've been following you for about an hour. You just discovered teleporting, kid," Gabriel told him.

"I was teleporting? I guess that makes sense. Why couldn't I stop?" Sam asked.

"Well, you have no control over it first of all. Also, you were freaking out, which is not good when you're getting used to any power," Gabriel explained.

"Of course I'm freaking out! I was literally going everywhere! God, just when I think this crap can't get any more freaky, it does!" Sam ranted.

"You need to calm down. The only reason you're not teleporting right now is because I'm blocking it. You have to learn to control it. The first step to that is to remain calm. Take some deep breaths," Gabriel instructed.

Sam did as he was told and felt himself relax just slightly. "How do I stop it from happening again?"

Gabriel sighed because he knew his son wasn't asking how to control it. He was asking how to make sure it never happens again. "You don't. You learn how to control it."

Sam was about to argue, but was stopped when Gabriel raised a hand to cut him off.

"We're not going to discuss this any further here. We'll go home and talk about it. This is not the place. Besides, your brother will start tearing the place apart soon if I don't show him you're okay," Gabriel half-joked

Sam gave a slight smile and nodded.

Gabriel reached out and gently took his arm, not wanting to risk the kid disappearing on him if there wasn't physical contact. Teleporting someone else could be tricky if they had the ability and couldn't properly use it. He was still blocking Sam, but it was still a risk he didn't want to take.

They appeared a second later at the house. They found Dean in the living room pacing.

"Dean," Sam called.

Dean finally turned to his brother. "Dude, thank God. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sam lied. Sure, he was physically he wasn't hurt, but he was really freaked out.

"What the hell were you thinking? Why would you disappear like that?" Dean asked. Okay, so he was pretty sure Sam hadn't done it on purpose, but he had been frustrated and scared, so he was being a little irrational.

"Yeah, because I wanted that to happen," Sam said sarcastically.

"Yeah, okay, sorry. Where's Cas?" Dean wondered

"Oh, crap," Gabriel said before taking out his phone. He'd forgotten that he left Castiel with Lucifer. He didn't think his older brother would do something, but he should make sure. He quickly dialed and put the phone to his ear.

" _Gabriel,"_ Castiel answered on the first ring.

"Yeah, Bro. Everything okay? Where are you?"

" _I am still with Lucifer. He would not allow me to leave until we heard from you. Have you found Sam?"_ Castiel asked.

" _Yeah, he's fine. Let him leave, Lucifer,"_ Gabriel demanded, knowing his older brother would hear him just fine.

" _Let me know if you need anything, Brother,"_ Lucifer said. His voice was farther away, but still clear as a bell to Gabriel.

Dean and Sam both frowned at each other, both wondering if Cas was okay with the Devil so close to him.

" _I have left, Gabriel,"_ Cas said.

"Good. I gotta go. I've got things to deal with," Gabriel said. He needed to get Sam calmed down some more, as much as possible, and help him deal with another ability.

" _Alright. I will call with any emergencies,"_ Cas said before hanging up.

Gabriel hung up as well and put his phone away.

"What the hell? You left Cas alone with the devil?" Dean asked irritably.

"Is Cas okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, he's fine. Luci just used him to get information. Sit, let's talk," Gabriel said.

Sam shook his head. "I don't wanna talk anymore."

"Tough. Sit," Gabriel ordered as he pointed to the couch.

Sam glared at his father, but did as he asked.

Gabriel sat in the recliner while Dean sat next to Sam. "Look, you need to stop trying to forget about all of this. It will not work. This is just the beginning, Sam. You're going to keep developing these powers. You need to accept that," Gabriel said.

Sam sighed. He knew he wasn't helping himself by trying to bury his powers, but he was just so freaking scared. He was scared of what he could do with these things and what he would be come. He wished someone could just tell him for sure what he was meant to be. "What do you want me to do?"

"We start training again first thing tomorrow, none negotiable. Only instead of sparing, we're going to work on controlling your teleporting. That's top priority now," Gabriel said.

"But it could end up like it did tonight," Sam argued.

"No, I'm going to create another reality and we'll do it there. I can make sure you don't teleport out of it," Gabriel assured him.

"Okay," Sam said reluctantly.

"There's something else we have to talk about. Now, I think by now you understand the need for me to bring and keep you here, right?" Gabriel asked.

Knowing where this was going, am nodded.

Dean, however, couldn't help but give his own smartass answer. "You're a dick who likes to keep people prisoner?"

Gabriel shot Dean a glare, telling him to keep his mouth shut. He was not in the mood right now. His night went to hell the moment Castiel called and asked to meet. It had just been one drama after another then.

Gabriel turned back to Sam. "I know you don't like it. I know to you feel like I'm treating you like a child who can't take care of himself and needs his daddy to protect him, but it's necessary and it will happen. I will not allow you to be hurt."

"I understand," Sam said. He did feel the way Gabriel described. It had gotten better, but he still got bitter sometimes about being kept under house arrest like a disobedient kid. It was kind of how he felt as a child with his dad, only somewhat different because at least Gabriel didn't just bark orders. He explained himself and tried to make sure Sam understood, which he did. he did understand why it was like this. The world, plus his life and Dean's were at stake. So while a part of him wanted to rebel like with his dad, he wouldn't.

"You couldn't help it tonight and you won't be able to for a bit, which is why I intend to block you for a while, but I don't want to have to do that indefinitely. For one, it takes a lot of juice, and for another, I don't want to treat you that way. I want your word that you won't try to teleport anywhere when you've learned to control it," Gabriel said firmly. He would be able to find Sam regardless if he teleported, but he didn't want someone else finding him too.

Dean was becoming more and more annoyed with Gabriel for demanding Sam follow his rules like a child. Sam was not his, no matter what any blood test would show. He didn't have the right to demand anything from him. He didn't get to keep him locked up. "He can do whatever the hell he wants! You can't…"

Gabriel had cut of Dean's voice mid-sentence, having enough of it. "You're trying my patience, kid. I get you're kind of pissed about my place in Sam's life. Well, you need to get over it. Accept that he's as much my family as yours!"

"You have my word, Gabriel," Sam said, changing the archangels attention from his brother to him. "I won't try to leave."

"Okay, I'm gonna trust you on that," Gabriel said.

"So what happened with Lucifer?" Sam asked.

Gabriel sighed. "Well, he says he's on our side. I don't know that I trust him."

"But you could?" Sam asked.

"I wanna believe him. He's my brother. But I won't bring him here until I'm sure he can be trusted and you agree," Gabriel promised.

"We could probably use his help," Sam conceded. He didn't know how he felt about this, but if Lucifer was on their side, maybe it was a good thing.

Dean smacked his brother on the arm. He would've started ranting too if he had the use of his voice.

"What? You were gonna let him help you," Sam pointed out.

Dean turned and glared at Gabriel, pretty much demanding he be allowed to speak again.

Gabriel waved his hand and gave Dean his voice back.

"And everyone pointed out how stupid I was for doing it!" Dean replied to Sam.

"And you were," Gabriel said matter-of-factly. "But the circumstances were different. He knows now and he may be on our side. But as I said, I will make sure before I give him access to this place. He'll have to prove he can be trusted.

Sam nodded and stood up. "I think I'm gonna go to bed. I need this day to be over. Uh, Gabriel, I don't think I'll sleep good tonight. Will you help me?"

Gabriel nodded. "That's a good idea. I can stop blocking you for the night that way. You'll be sleeping too deeply to accidentally teleport. Let me know when you're ready.

Sam nodded and headed to his room.

Dean got up as well to go to his own room.


	35. Chapter 35

The next day, Gabriel, Dean, and Sam had just finished eating when Gabriel stood up. "Ready."

"If I said I was sick, would it get me out of this?" Sam asked.

"Nope, because you would be lying," Gabriel said simply before putting a hand on his shoulder and teleporting himself, Sam, and Dean to his reality. The next minute, they were in a state park which actually did exist in the real world about ten minutes from Gabriel's home.

Dean looked around and saw people walking around. "I thought we were going to one of your fake places."

"We are," Gabriel said.

"So the people aren't real? They sure look real," Dean said as he eyed a woman sitting on a bench nearby.

"Well, the girls I popped up at the college looked real too, didn't they? Gabriel asked. "I like my worlds to have props when possible."

"Well, I'm gonna go say hi to that prop," Dean said as he walked towards the blond woman.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother before turning back to Gabriel. "Well, he'll be busy for a while."

"Yeah, that's why I specifically made a pretty girl," Gabriel said. He didn't want too much interference from Dean, so he created someone to keep him a little distracted. "Alright, let's start."

"What if I end up back in the real world?" Sam asked.

"You won't. Angels would have that ability, but they've been able to do it for a millenia. You've only just gained the ability. You won't be able to reality jump yet.

"What do I do?" Sam asked.

"First, tell me something. What was going through your head when you teleported last night. What were you thinking about right before it happened.

"I...I wanted to find you. I wanted to help you," Sam said uncomfortably. He didn't know why saying that bothered him. He'd admitted to himself that Gabriel was someone he cared about. He supposed he just wasn't ready to admit it to Gabriel.`

Gabriel decided not to bring any attention to his son's admission that he cared about him. Sam obviously wasn't ready to admit that to him, probably having some mixed feelings on the fact. There didn't need to be a conversation about it right now. Gabriel was content with the knowledge that Sam did care. "So you were thinking about leaving the house."

"Yeah, and then I was just gone," Sam said.

Gabriel nodded. "Your desire, along with your distress, probably activated the teleportation."

"Then why didn't happen like three weeks ago? I certainly wanted to get away then," Sam said.

Gabriel laughed. "Your Grace wasn't strong enough then for the power to manifest. Anyway, we're going to try to do what you did last night. First though, I need to stop blocking your power. I want you to take some deep breaths and try to remain calm.

Sam took the breaths, though remaining calm wasn't as easy. He tried the best he could though.

Gabriel let the power he was using to keep a hold on Sam go. Thankfully, Sam didn't immediately teleport. "Alright, you're still here. That's good. Alright, now, we're going to try teleporting. I want you to think close to how you were yesterday, except stay calm."

"Where?" Sam asked.

"Don't worry about where. We're not going to go into specific places right now. We'll get there later. Right now, we'll start simple. Just think of being somewhere other than here and let the power lead you," Gabriel told him.

"But I could end up anywhere?" Sam said. He didn't like the idea of ending up in a strange place and have no idea where or how to get back.

"You'll be okay. I'm going to follow you," Gabriel assured him.

Sam felt like a little kid. Because he was scared. The thought of being anywhere in the world, teleporting without being able to stop, like last night, scared him. It shouldn't be like this. He shouldn't be so afraid. He was an adult and a hunter. He should be able to handle something as simple as this. He could. He'd be fine. "Alright. What about Dean.

Gabriel's eyes traveled to the blond Winchester chatting up one of the girls Gabriel made sitting on a bench. "Eh, he'll be fine. He's not going anywhere. You ready?"

Sam nodded, though he was far from ready.

"Alright, before you do this, I want to emphasize how important it is to remain calm. Part of the reason you were teleporting everywhere last night is because you were panicked," Gabriel said.

"I'll try. How far would I be able to go?" Sam asked.

"I've got about the city limits of Tampa. Right now we're just a few minutes away from the house. Well, a replica of it anyway," Gabriel said. Recreating a whole city took a lot of power, but he wanted to make it big so Sam would have enough room to practice. The park was the only place that was, shall we say animated, though. It was the only place that had 'people'.

"We've been in Florida the whole time?" Sam asked. He'd never asked where exactly they were. There hadn't been much point since he hadn't been allowed to leave the house. Besides, he had other concerns than where he currently was.

"Yup! Okay, let's do it," Gabriel said.

Sam closed his eyes and tried to think of being somewhere else. When he opened his eyes though and he was still in the park with Gabriel. He tried a couple of more times, but there was no change. "It's not working."

"Hey, you're just starting to learn this. It will take time. Keep trying, but you don't have to put too much effort into it. Try to think of it as walking away, except you're doing it in your head. See yourself leaving," Gabriel guided.

Sam closed his eyes again and tried to imagine it like Gabriel said. He pictured the park and he pictured himself walking away, leaving. He wanted to leave. He wanted to be somewhere else.

Somehow, Sam felt the atmosphere change. He opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of a suburban street. A bit of panic creeped up on him as he was reminded of last night and then he was gone again. This time he found himself in a wooded area, though he was only there about a second before it happened again and he was standing in the sand by the ocean.

Sam remembered Gabriel's words and immediately forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths and counting to ten. It seemed to work as he was rooted in spot this time.

Seconds later, Gabriel was standing in front of him with a big grin on his face. "That was great, Sam. You did it and you calmed yourself down enough to stop."

"I started to freak out for a minute," Sam said.

"Yeah, it'll probably do that for a little bit, but you did well. I'm proud of you," Gabriel said as he clapped him on the back.

Sam smiled a bit in response. This actually wasn't so bad. If he could get used to it and completely stop teleporting all over the place, it might be okay. It wasn't dangerous like the super strength could be, so he might be okay with it.

"You ready to try again?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah," Sam said before repeating the same process he did in the park. About a minute later, he was gone.

Gabriel grinned and chased after his son.


	36. Chapter 36

Gabriel, Sam, and Dean returned to the house a few hours later with Dean grumbling. Dean had looked up from his flirting to see his brother and Gabriel gone from that park and he hadn't been happy, especially since they didn't come back for hours. He'd made his displeasure very well known.

Sam found himself getting really annoyed with his brother. It wasn't like Dean didn't know where he was. He knew they were teleporting. That had been the whole point of the outing. Sam was not a child anymore. He could go off without Dean when he wanted to needed to. "Would you quit the complaining, Dean. I was fine. I was practicing my power."

"And you couldn't do that with me around?" Dean asked.

"No, because you would've interfered, maybe unintentionally gotten him riled up. I needed him to be calm for this," Gabriel interjected.

"He's my brother. I have the right to be with him when this crap is happening!" Dean growled.

"Dean, I am not a child! I was fine! In fact, once I started to get the hang of it, it was actually fun," Sam said.

"You could've ended up anywhere and I couldn't have gotten to you," Dean said.

"But I could've. I was following him," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna trust you," Gabriel said sarcastically.

"Dean, what did you think was going to happen even with you paying attention? It still would've been the same. You would've just been freaking out with the knowledge of it," Sam said.

"Well, first of all, I thought you'd just be teleporting in the park, not all over the place, and if not, I could've at least went with Gabriel to find you," Dean said.

"Well, too bad. It didn't happen that way and it was never going to. Like I said, I needed him calm," Gabriel said.

Dean took a confrontational stop towards the archangel. "You don't get to make these kind of decisions for my brother!"

Sam suddenly knew what it felt like to be Dean. He felt trapped between his father and his brother, much like Dean must have felt when Sam used to fight with their dad. It was not a great place to be. "Would you please stop?"

"Sam, stay put. Your brother and I will be back," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers and disappearing with Dean. They reappeared in the house, but not exactly the same house they left. It looked the same of course. It was a replica from Gabriel's fake reality.

Dean looked around. "Where's Sam?"

"We're not exactly at the house. This is basically a copy in the other word. This needs to stop, Dean," Gabriel said.

"Screw you," Dean said.

"You just put him in the middle. Is that what you want? Was it fun when it was you?" Gabriel asked.

"I am looking out for my brother and I'm not gonna stop!" Dean growled.

"Don't give me that. This is not about looking out for Sam. This is about the tug of war you insist on putting him in even though I refuse to play every time. You know how I know that? Every time you get defensive, you refer to Sam as 'my brother'. I don't need the reminder that he's your brother. I've never disputed that," Gabriel said.

"No, but you certainly stake your claim. You order him around all the time and he lets you do it," Dean said. That was the part that got him the most. Sam just let Gabriel order him around. He never let their father do that. Oh, he usually ended up complying because he had no other choice, but he always rebelled. He questioned everything. He didn't really do that now. He glared once and a while, but he usually complied without a fight. It made Dean feel like somehow Sam thought Gabriel was better because he was blood.

"I do what I have to to protect my kid. If that means making him do things he doesn't want to, so be it. Oh, and in case you missed it, it's not just him. I've done it with you as well. I'm in charge until this angel mess is over. Deal with it," Gabriel said firmly.

"You'll never be in charge of us! You're nothing to us!" Dean said hotly.

Gabriel grabbed Dean by the arm and forced him over to the couch. "Sit down. You and I are going to have this out."

Dean could not fight at all as he was forced onto the couch and then held there by Gabriel's power.

"You know, I didn't think you were this selfish, Dean. I thought you'd put helping Sam above your insecurities," Gabriel said.

Dean did nothing but glare at the SOB. Who was he to accuse him of not doing right by Sam. He'd protected Sam his whole life and he always would.

"I get this was a lot to wrap your head around. I get that you might not be happy that Sam has family that's not you or your family. But let me remind you that most of that family would kill him just for being what he is. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine what it's like to be your brother right now. Except for a handful of people, most would kill him just for being what he is," Gabriel said.

Dean looked away.

"You can't possibly understand what he's going through. Hell, neither can I. He's not human and he's not an angel, but at the same time he's both. And there's not a single person out there like him. At least I don't think so. Your brother is going through hell right now. In fact, today was the first time in weeks I've seen him let go of his fears for just a little while. You're mad because I helped him achieve that."

Dean shifted uncomfortably as he thought about the things that his little brother was going through. What he was putting Sam through. He hated it, but Gabriel was right. Sam was going through hell. He'd seen his fear himself. He knew Sam wasn't doing great. He knew his kid brother was conflicted about what he was and what people thought about him. It wasn't right for him to make it worse by essentially attempting to make him choose. That was what he was doing even if he didn't say the words. He just didn't want to lose his brother and he felt like he was.

"Let me ask you something, Dean. Do you really think I'm a danger to Sam? Do you think I'd let anything happen to him?" Gabriel asked.

Dean didn't reply. He just looked towards the window.

"Answer me!" Gabriel growled.

"No!" Dean finally snapped. He almost wished he was, but he knew Gabriel was no threat to his brother.

"That's what I thought. This is not about protecting Sam. This is about fighting me for him. I don't know how to make you see that no one's trying to take your place," Gabriel said.

"You already have," Dean said quietly to himself, forgetting for a minute that Gabriel was an angel and would hear him.

"No, I'm not. You're not Sam's father, Dean. You never should've been put in the position to be. Your father put way too much on you by making you responsible for Sam. That never should've been your place. But it became so and you did a remarkable job. Sam is who he is because of you. You have my eternal gratitude and respect for that. But you need to pull back some. Be his brother, stop trying to be his father," Gabriel urged.

"Because he has you?" Dean asked bitterly.

"Yes, and so do you if you let me in. I'm not your father, but I can be your family or at least your friend. Your mother gave everything she had to protect my son. I can do the same for hers, especially given everything you've done for Sam. Stop trying to fight me because you're just going to hurt Sam and I don't think you want that. Do you really want to put him in the position to choose? I'll be honest with you. He'd choose you, but it would tear him apart. Is that what you want?" Gabriel asked.

Dean shook his head.

"Then come on. Let's both work together to help him get through all this. We're both his family," Gabriel said as he held his hand out.

Dean was hesitant, but he eventually took the hand offered to him. He did it for Sam, just like everything else he'd ever done.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Bobby just walked into the house after a store run. He'd been running low on food and needed to stock up. It was nice to finally be able to do something so simple without help. Before, he'd had to ask someone to drive him or pick it up for him due to the legs problem.

As he walked in, he noticed two unfamiliar men. One was african american with a coldness vibe to him and the other was a man with dirty blond hair who looked inviting, yet powerful and fearsome at the same time.

Bobby immediately dropped his bags and grabbed his gun.

"That won't work on us, Mud monkey," one sneered.

"Who are you?' Bobby asked. He got the feeling they were angels, as 'mud monkey' seemed to be a common phase angels used for humans.

"Hello, Bobby. I apologize for my brother. Raphael can be a bit rude," the blonde said.

"Raphael," Bobby said, immediately recognizing the name as belonging to an archangel. He could pretty much guess who the other one was then. "Then, you're…"

"I am Michael."


	37. Chapter 37

Bobby stood almost frozen. The being that stood in front of him was a threat to both his surrogate sons, especially the youngest. He wanted to kill his youngest. He wanted to kill Sam. Well, Bobby would die first.

"It is Sam's Destiny," Michael said reading the hunter's mind.

Bobby swore under his breath. This SOB could read his mind. He needed to be careful. "What the hell do you bastards want?" Bobby asked.

"Watch yourself, Human," Raphael snarled.

"Or what? You won't kill me. You want something from me. Not that it matters, because you're not getting anything from me," Bobby said.

"We will. There are numerous ways of getting what we want, most of them unpleasant," Raphael said with sadistic smirk.

"Raphael, enough. We will not resort to such tactics if they are unnecessary," Michael said. "Bobby, I understand your reluctance, but it is important that we locate the Winchesters.'

"Over my dead body," Bobby growled. It wasn't like he could tell them anyway. He didn't know where they were, a fact he was grateful for.

"I see. I feared as much. There have been no signs of the Winchesters in weeks. Before, we could not locate them, but they, shall we say, left their mark. It is evident after a Winchester has completed a hunt. But there has been nothing. Not to mention that an angel has gone missing. That adds to the concern and I cannot help but wonder if it is connected," Michael said.

"I would not call him missing, Michael. I believe it is obvious that Zachariah is dead," Raphael said.

"Yes, you are probably right, but the point is, it is disconcerting. That is why we've come. I was content to let things play out, with a little persuasion should the opportunity present itself, but things are happening that shouldn't be. This is why I've chosen to give the situation my personal attention," Michael explained.

"Am I supposed to be honored?" Bobby asked dryly.

"I must insist you tell us what you know, Bobby. Now, I've gathered from your thoughts that you don't know where the Winchesters are, but I do believe you know something," Michael said.

Bobby tried not to, but sporadic thoughts of Sam and Dean and what happened with them entered his brain, including the Trickster/Archangel responsible for taking them.

"Gabriel?" Michael asked in shock.

"What?" Raphael asked, just as surprised.

"Why would he do this? Tell me!" Michael commanded, searching fruitlessly through the man's thoughts. They were gone for some reason though. He could no longer hear a thing.

If Michael hadn't been so focused on the news he'd just heard and trying to learn more, he might have noticed the Grace of his younger brother enter the house. "You know, you'd think someone who bowed down to humans like a good little boy would have the courtesy not to invade their thoughts."

All three of therm turned to see a fourth occupant standing just a few feet away. "Lucifer," Michael bit out.

"Oh, Balls!" Bobby grumbled. Just when he thought this couldn't get worse, the damned Devil showed up.

"Hello, Brother. Nice vessel, though he looks like he won't last even a week. Though I suppose when your vessel is unavailable, you must make do. I know that struggle," Lucifer said.

"Why are you here?" Raphael demanded.

"No one was speaking to you, Raphael. When you grow a mind of your own, I might answer you. Until then, you're just another one of Michael's lackeys. So be a good one and stay in the background until he beckons you," Lucifer mocked.

Raphael seethed, but made no move against him.

"What have you done, Lucifer. Where are the Winchesters? And what is this I'm hearing of Gabriel. He works for you now? Did you tell him to hide the Winchesters? You have turned our brother against me?" Michael asked angrily.

Lucifer laughed. "Turned him against you? What makes you think I had to?"

"He would not interfere unless you influenced him!" Michael yelled.

Lucifer scoffed. "You have so little faith in our brother to see things for himself. I didn't turn Gabriel against you, Michael. You did. Your actions showed Gabriel who you are. A little daddy's boy who couldn't think for himself. Someone he knows he can't trust." He couldn't help but Give Michael just a little bit of truth. He wanted Michael to know what Gabriel thought of him. He wanted him to understand a sliver of what he was putting their baby brother through.

"So I am right. He works for you," Michael said in disgust.

Lucifer shrugged, neither confirming or denying it. Michael would assume he was right, which worked for him. He couldn't deny Gabriel's involvement. He'd arrived too late for that, but he could still protect his secret for now.

"Why kidnap the Winchesters? What do you gain from it? You have not taken Sam. Why is that? And why kill Zachariah?" Michael demanded to know.

The Zachariah thing surprised Lucifer. He didn't know he was dead. Zachariah must have done something to piss Gabriel off because the Messenger wouldn't do it without a good reason. It had to be connected to Sam somehow. "What makes you think I'd answer your questions, Michael. Anything I've done undoubtedly contributes to our fight. Why would I reveal that to you," Lucifer asked.

"Return my vessel and our brother," Michael commanded.

"Or what? What can you do, Michael? Fight me? You wouldn't last a moment in that vessel," Lucifer said.

"This is not over. I will not allow you to continue defying Father or turning our brothers against me," Michael said. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to end it here and now, but Lucifer was right. In his current vessel, he would lose.

"Well, it appears we have some common ground. We agree that it is not over," Lucifer said.

Michael glared at his brother for a second and disappeared. Raphael left just after him.

Lucifer looked at Bobby, who was still standing with his gun in his hand. "Put that away. It is useless and unnecessary."

"What the hell do you want?" Bobby asked as he reluctantly lowered his gun. He'd watched the entire exchange between Michael and Lucifer and he didn't understand it. The Devil had come and stopped his asshole brothers from getting further information out of him and had even allowed them to believe he was responsible for Sam and Dean's disappearances. It didn't make sense, unless he knew. Hell, even if he did know it didn't make sense. Yeah, Sam was technically his family, but why would he care about that. Bobby didn't get the feeling the Devil was big on family.

Lucifer chuckled. "I will never understand why my father cherishes you humans so much. I just saved you, yet you show no gratitude."

Bobby glared at him. "No one asked you to. Why'd you do it?"

"To protect my brother and my nephew," Lucifer said simply.

' _Balls',_ Bobby thought to himself. He was hoping that Lucifer didn't know, even though he'd already suspected the contrary. Yeah, the Devil had helped, but who knew why he did that. He was the Devil. He couldn't be trusted, definitely not with Sam.

"You know, it was pretty stupid for my brother to trust you with this information. Even without angel telepathy, your species turn on each other at the simplest threat or bargain. I suppose Gabriel thought your affection for Sam would be enough to keep you quiet, and he probably didn't anticipate Michael approaching you. He probably figured if he was going to, it would've happened by now. Still, telling you was a mistake."

"I could say the same about telling you," Bobby bit out.

Lucifer glowered at him. "Watch yourself, Human. I would never harm my brother or his son! And he didn't tell me. I found out for myself. He was upset when he found out, but now he should be grateful. It allowed me to help keep Michael and Raphael in the dark."

"How'd you know they were here?" Bobby asked.

"It may not have occurred to Gabriel that Michael might come for you, but it did to me. That is why older brothers exist. To protect their younger ones from their own mistakes. I had some demons watching you. They alerted me. Unfortunately, I didn't get here in time to stop Gabriel's involvement from being revealed. But damage control was still done. However, Michael will try again and you will not be able to protect your thoughts," Lucifer said.

"Then erase my memory," Bobby said after a minute. If his knowledge of Sam was going to get him killed, he wanted it gone. He would live forever never seeing Sam again and living with the fear of not knowing what happened to him if it meant Sam would live.

"Huh. Maybe you aren't quite as worthless as other humans. However, I wish to have some sort of relationship with my nephew and screwing with your memory would be counterproductive to that. I have another plan," Lucifer said before going to the counter and grabbing a knife, swiftly cutting his hand.

"What are you doing?" Bobby asked.

"Well, the only reason Michael was able to find you was because he knew where you lived, as the sigil hiding your from angels is evident on your ribs. At least my brother did that once he told you. So I am going to put a sigil in your house prohibiting any angel from entering. I will also station demons around so that you will know it it's safe to leave your home," Lucifer explained.

"Protected by demons. What a change of pace," Bobby said with a snort.

Lucifer walked over to the door and started painting the sigil into it with his blood.


	38. Chapter 38

Sam woke up in his bedroom slightly confused. The last thing he remembered was laying down on the couch and falling asleep after Gabriel left with Dean. Apparently, teleporting made you tired. It had the night before too. Gabriel must have moved him to the bedroom when he and Dean came back.

Speaking of Dean, Sam didn't hear him yelling or complaining, so Gabriel must have gotten through to him. At least Sam hoped that was the outcome. It was getting hard to watch them fight and try not to choose a side.

Deciding to go see if he was right, Sam got out of bed and headed out of the room. As soon as he stepped out into the hall, he found Dean coming out of the bathroom.

Dean turned when he heard the movement. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty's finally awake.

"Very funny, Jerk," Sam said.

"Bitch," Dean countered with a smile, which faded after a couple of seconds. "Listen, can we talk?"

"Yeah," Sam said before stepping back into his room, leaving the door open for Dean.

Dean walked in and shut the door behind him. "Look, you know I don't like to do this crap, but I was an asshole earlier. I put you in the middle. I have been since you told me the truth. I'm sorry."

Despite the fact that Sam was hoping for it, he could hardly believe that Dean was actually saying this. Dean didn't easily admit he was wrong, especially when it involved someone he didn't like, such as Gabriel. "Thanks."

Dean walked over and sat on the edge of Sam's bed. "I...I guess I haven't been handling this whole thing as good as I said. I love you, Sammy. You'll always be my brother and I don't care what you are. Just know that first."

"I know, Dean," Sam said before joining him on the bed. He knew what this was about. His brother felt threatened by Gabriel and the fact that there was no blood between them. He had become almost as worried as Sam had been a few days earlier. That was why he tried not to take a side whenever Dean would fight with Gabriel. Dean was usually the one wrong, just because he was always looking to pick a fight, and Sam felt the urge to tell him that, but he didn't want his brother to think he was choosing Gabriel over him. He would never choose anyone over Dean.

"But it kind of feels like this blood thing does matter to you. Because you care about this dude after just a few weeks," Dean said.

"So what? Caring about him doesn't mean I'm phasing you out. Please don't turn this into an ultimatum, where I have to choose you or him," Sam begged.

Dean cringed, hearing the pain in his brother's voice at the prospect. Gabriel had been right. That would tear Sam apart. "I've been doing that and I'm sorry. I wanted you away from him. I guess I thought if I could interfere, maybe I'd stop you from caring about him. Last night, I realized I was too late for that, but I still couldn't help but try," he said before getting up and crossing the room, stopping in front of the door. "Why couldn't he just stay the asshole Trickster!"

"You want him to be an asshole?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean said as he turned back to his brother. "I want him to be the evil SOB we hunted at that freaking college! I want this dude with a claim to you to be a dick. I know how selfish that sounds, but at least then I wouldn't feel like I'm losing you," Dean said. He hated sounding so vulnerable, especially with Sam, but he couldn't help it. Even after his talk with Gabriel, he felt like he was going to lose his brother.

"You're not losing me, Dean. Why does me caring about Gabriel mean that you're losing me?" Sam asked.

"It's not that you care about him. It's the way you are with him, the way you talk to him. How much you let him get away with. You let him order you around like a little kid," Dean said.

"Let him? Is the archangel thing lost on you?" Sam asked.

"Don't Sammy. It has nothing to do with him being an archangel. You listen to him because you respect him. Because he's your father. But you never did that with Dad. It's like somehow he means more because he's your real family," Dean said.

Sam sighed. Dean wasn't going to like what he said next, but it was better than him thinking that somehow he cared more about Gabriel because he was blood. "Okay, yeah, I listen to Gabriel a lot more than I ever did Dad, but it's not because I love him more. I don't even think I can say I do love him. I don't know the real him well enough to say that yet."

"Then why? Why are you so much different with Gabriel? Why does it seem like he means more to you than Dad?" Dean asked.

"I loved Dad, Dean. I'll always love him. Please get that. But in three weeks, Gabriel's acted more like a father to me than he ever did. There were times over the years when I wondered if Dad even loved me," Sam said.

"Dude, of course he did," Dean said. He couldn't believe his brother questioned that. Yeah, their father wasn't ever going to win any awards, but he loved them. He loved Sam. Hell, there were a lot of times when Dean used to think he loved Sam more than him.

"I think he did most of the time, but there were a lot of times that I wondered, especially after what you told me his last words were," Sam said. His father's last words had really scarred him. It was like they made all his fears true. His father was willing to consider killing him because he wasn't completely human. That was why he was glad the man wasn't here now.

Dean cringed. He really wished he'd never told Sam that. He knew how much it broke him. Hell, it broke Dean to have to hear those words from their father. "It… It was only a precaution. It's not like he wanted it."

"Dean, how do you think Dad would react if he were here? How do you think he'd look at me right now?" Sam asked.

"He'd understand," Dean said with a lot of skepticism in his voice. He wanted to believe his father would accept Sam for who he was, part angel and all, but his father was a typical hunter, and any typical hunter that crossed their paths with Sam would hunt him.

Sam gave his brother a look. "Which one of us are you trying to lie to. We both know he wouldn't be able to accept me. He barely accepted me with the demon blood. He knew about that for a long time. I think that's pretty obvious and he treated me accordingly. And that's your answer, Dean. That's why I'm different with Gabriel. Because Gabriel's different with me. He loves me. I may not understand how I feel about him, but I know how he feels about me. I don't wonder if he loves me, like I did with Dad. I know he does. He's ready to end the world to save my life. I don't want that, but at the same time, it makes me feel good that I have someone willing to do that. Like I said, I always had to wonder if Dad loved me. I don't have to wonder that with Gabriel. I know he does. I know that he would never consider hurting me or letting anyone else do it."

"So that's why you listen to him more than you did Dad?" Dean asked.

"Also, he doesn't do it the way Dad did. He doesn't bark orders with no explanation and expect me to blindly follow. I always understand the orders he gives even if I hate them. That makes it much easier. Plus, Gabriel knows more than I do about what I am and what it will do to me. Answering to him seems for the best right now," Sam explained.

Dean knew he shouldn't, but he actually felt better with his brother's explanation. It wasn't about blood, it was about their father acting like a dick when they grew up. Dean didn't like the fact that his father was considered less than the biological father Sam barely knew, but he understood it, and it at least meant he wasn't just losing his brother. "Okay. Well, this chick flick moment has been going on way too long."

"It was your idea this time," Sam commented with a smirk.

"I was making up for all of yours," Dean retorted without missing a beat. "Let's get out of here and get some food. I'm starving."

"You usually are," Sam said before getting up and following his brother out of the room. They went out to the kitchen and found Gabriel by the stove cooking something.

"Hey, Boys," Gabriel greeted.

"Why are you cooking. You never cook," Sam said. He would cook a couple of times, but Gabriel never did.

"I was bored. You should've come out and entertained me," Gabriel said with fake admonishment.

Sam chuckled. "Oh, sorry we weren't doing our job."

"You should be," Gabriel said.

Sam turned to the kitchen table and saw Gabriel's phone blink. "Gabriel, you turn off your ringer?"

"Yeah, while we were teleporting. Didn't want any distractions. Is it ringing? Answer it if it's Castiel, but only Castiel. Oh, or Bobby, since it'll be for you if that's the case," Gabriel said. He'd given Castiel permission to give Bobby his number so he could talk to Dean and Sam. He knew the truth, so there was no reason to keep him from talking to them.

Sam went to the table and picked up the phone. "Bobby."

"Put it on speaker," Dean said. He wanted to talk to Bobby too. He hadn't gotten to since he'd been taken from the house.

Sam did as his brother asked. "Hey, Bobby. You're on speaker."

" _Where the hell have you idjits been?! I've been calling for hours! Do you know the day I've had? Angels crawling around my house, my mind being read, and then Satan shows up!"_

"What?" Dean asked alarmed.

Gabriel stopped what he was doing and rushed over. "Talk, Singer. What is going on?"

" _I walked into the house to find two of your dick siblings in my house waiting. Apparently word out that Dean and Sam are a little more missing than they should be,"_ Bobby said.

"Which angels? Did you get names?" Gabriel asked.

" _Yeah, the head dicks themselves."_

"MIchael and Raphael," Gabriel said. He had hoped it wouldn't be them. If it was someone else, maybe he could intercept them before they got to Michael, although since it had been a while, that would seem unlikely. Apparently it didn't matter though. Michael believed the situation important enough to go himself. "What do they know?"

Bobby sighed on the other end. " _I tried to keep them from finding out anything, but the asshole read my mind."_

Fear began to reach every corner of Gabriel's body as he realized Michael must know everything. He supposed it was only a matter of time, but he'd been clinging to the hope that he could still keep his son a secret. Now that was gone and he was going to need to find a way to fight his brother. Dammit, why had he allowed Bobby to be told. He should've anticipated that Michael would go after Singer. He shouldn't have let this happen.

"He knows about me?" Sam asked.

" _No, he doesn't know that much, thanks to the Devil. God dammit, that sounds weird,"_ Bobby said.

Gabriel gained back a glimmer of hope when he heard that. "You said he showed up. What happened?"

" _Well, Michael had just pried your name out of my head, as well as the information that you kidnapped him and Dean. Then Satan showed up and I think he kicked him out of my head. They had some words and then Dick one and two left,"_ Bobby explained.

Gabriel felt a little better. Michael still knew too much, but he didn't know everything. This would give Gabriel the chance to plan and get the upper hand. It was definitely time to prepare for a fight though. "Is Lucifer still with you?"

" _No. I got booted from the house after carving angel resistant signs in my door. He left a bunch of demons around to help,"_ he said.

"Wait, there are demons around your house. Bobby, that's a bad idea," Dean said. He didn't even care if the Devil was sincere in protecting Bobby, though that seemed unlikely. Trusting demons was a mistake either way.

" _You take me for an idjit, Boy? I left just after the Devil did. Took out a couple of demons that tried to stop me too. When I get to the point that I need demons to protect me, I'm done,"_ Bobby said.

"Well, where are you then?" Sam asked.

" _On the road. Not sure where to yet,"_ Bobby said.

"Bobby, I'm sorry," Sam said guiltily. The man he thought of as a father was on the run because of him. He hated it. What he was was already hurting people.

" _Boy, don't let me here that stupidity again! This is not your fault!"_ Bobby said firmly.

"He's right, it's not. It's my fault. I shouldn't have allowed him to know. Bobby, did you get a good look at the sigil Lucifer put up?" Gabriel asked.

" _Oh, yeah. I'm a step ahead of you. I'm putting it up as soon as I get where I'm going,"_ Bobby said.

Gabriel nodded. "It has to be perfect, Bobby, or it'll be useless."

"I took a picture of it. I'm sure I'll get it right," Bobby assured him.

"Alright. If anything happens call me, pray if you have to," Gabriel said.

" _Got it. You take care of my boys. And you two, stay safe and don't get stupid,"_ Bobby instructed.

"That goes for you too, Bobby," Dean said.

" _Bye, guys,"_ Bobby said before hanging up.

Gabriel turned to the boys. "I'll be back. Sam, I'm not going to be able to block you while I'm gone, so stay calm and try not to teleport."

"You expect me to be calm after this? Where are you going anyway?" Sam asked.

"To see Lucifer. You have to do your best. Meditate or something if you have to," Gabriel said.

"I'll keep him calm," Dean promised as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Gabriel nodded and snapped his fingers. A couple of pizzas appeared on the table. "Since dinner's kind of ruined," he said before disappearing.


	39. Chapter 39

Lucifer waited for Gabriel in the same place they'd met the last time, knowing very well that his brother would come when he heard from Bobby Singer. He'd wanna hear everything that happened from Lucifer himself.

Sure enough, Lucifer found his brother in front of him just a few hours after Lucifer had left the human. "Brother."

"What the hell happened?" Gabriel asked, wasting no time with pleasantries.

"You screwed up, Brother. Honestly, I don't know what you were thinking telling a mud monkey your biggest secret. I mean, I sort of get the Winchester mud monkey, since you have him locked up, but why would you just tell some random human?" Lucifer asked.

"Tell me what happened with Michael," Gabriel said impatiently. He was in no mood to hear about how he screwed up. He knew he'd made a mistake. What he wanted now was to figure out a way to do damage control. "I got the short version from Bobby, but I want to hear everything from you."

Lucifer shrugged. "MIchael and Raphael were their typical selves. Michael was a sanctimonious moron and Raphael served as his lapdog. They don't know about Sam, but they know you're responsible for his and Dean's disappearance. However, he thinks I put you up to it. He accused me of turning you against him."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. Yeah, that was typical Michael. He was so arrogant and sure of his goodness that he couldn't possibly believe that he himself was responsible for anyone that turned on him. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. I let him draw his own conclusions. Well, alright, I gave him a little bit of truth. I told him that no one had to turn you against him, that you had no trust in him and that it was his own fault. But to him that was just proof that he was right. I let him think it," Lucifer said.

"Thank you," Gabriel said. His brother had come through for him. He'd protected him and Sam by protecting Bobby and not telling their brother the truth.

"You have my loyalty, Gabriel. I will not turn on you," Lucifer promised.

"Bobby said you placed protections around his house and left demons behind to help. By the way, he ignored everything and took off himself," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, I know. One of the surviving members informed me. I'm gonna leave them in place to throw Michael off, even if he kills them, which he probably will, he might be fooled that the mud monkey's still there," Lucifer said.

"Why'd you do it? You could've just killed Bobby. We both know you have no problem killing humans," Gabriel said.

"Well, that wouldn't exactly gain your trust, would it? It certainly wouldn't win Sam over. I would like to have a relationship with him whenever you should allow it. If I killed his surrogate father, that would prove impossible," Lucifer explained.

Gabriel nodded. "Did Michael say anything else?"

"Just that it wasn't over. He's right, Gabriel. It isn't over. He doesn't know yet, but he will find out. You have to know that," Lucifer said gently. He didn't want to scare his brother any further, but he was unwilling to let him go on unprepared.

Gabriel shuddered and looked away. "I know." As much as he hoped to prevent it, most of him knew from the moment Lucifer was released that this was always going to come out.

"We're going to have to fight. You know what will happen when Michael finds out the truth," Lucifer said.

Gabriel whipped his head around at his big brother and glared. "Why the hell did you have to do this? This is happening because you started the damned apocalypse! If you'd just stayed where you were my son would be safe!"

Lucifer sighed. He could point out a lot of things right now, like that he didn't know about Sam or that he wasn't the only one who fought to make this happen, or even that he had a right to be free, but it wasn't about any of that. Gabriel wasn't really angry at him. He was scared as hell at the prospect of losing his kid and he was taking it out on the only person he could. It probably didn't hurt that technically he was right. If Lucifer hadn't been released, this really wouldn't have happened. Well, at least not now. "I don't think you really want me back in the cage. I don't think you ever wanted me there."

"I do if it protects my son! You did this to him! You and your asshole demons brought him into this! You put poison into his system and manipulated him into setting you free!" Gabriel said before shoving his brother hard.

Lucifer didn't retaliate. "You're scared, Gabriel. That's why you're lashing out at me. I won't engage."

"You should've left it alone!" Gabriel snarled, pushing him again.

"If I thought it would end like this, I would have," Lucifer said. He'd wanted more than anything to get out of that cage and continue his rebellion, but right now, he'd do anything to prevent the fear and pain in his little brother's eyes, and to protect his nephew. If the only way was to stay in the cage, he'd have done it.

Gabriel shook his head with a defeated look on his face. "They're gonna come after my boy. I can't stop them from finding out."

"No, you can't, but that doesn't mean we can't stop them. But simply staying hidden isn't going to work. Michael will find out, and eventually, he'll find you. You have to be prepared. It's going to come down to a very big fight," Lucifer said.

Gabriel nodded and attempted to get himself under control. "I'll die before I let Sam get hurt."

"No, you won't die. You will not even consider the possibility of dying. You will go forward with the belief that you will win. Is that understood?" Lucifer asked in a tone he hadn't used since the youngest archangel had been a fledgling.

Gabriel let out a small chuckle. "Yeah."

"I have you now, Brother. I will get you through this. Your duty is to help Sam survive. Mine is to help you. We will do this together," Lucifer promised.

Not being able to stand it anymore, Gabriel launched himself into his brother's arms, finally able to allow someone else to carry some weight.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Michael was fuming as he sat in his office with Raphael across from him. He couldn't believe what had happened. Not only was it proven that his vessel was deliberately being kept from him, but now he'd learned that he'd lost his little brother. True, he didn't actually have Gabriel before, but now the youngest archangel was actually against him! He'd joined Lucifer. That was just a slap in the face, and he was sure that had been part of Lucifer's plan.

What frustrated Michael the most though was that he couldn't understand how Lucifer had done it. How had he convinced Gabriel to side with him? It wasn't as if he hadn't tried to force Gabriel to choose before. They'd both tried relentlessly before Lucifer was cast down, but Gabriel refused to take a side. He'd just whined about the fighting and begged them to stop. What had changed?

Raphael sighed in his chair. "Michael, if you're not going to speak, I'm going to leave. There are far more productive things for me to do than watch you stew silently for hours."

Michael huffed. "I cannot believe he has done this!"

"I assume you mean Gabriel since nothing Lucifer does should surprise you. Honestly, Michael, is it really that shocking?" Raphael asked. He had been surprised by Gabriel's involvement at first, but it was mostly due to the fact that Gabriel had disappeared completely thousands of years ago. Many believed he was dead. Raphael was one of them. But it didn't surprise him so much that Gabriel had chosen Lucifer.

Michael looked at his brother as though he grew three heads. "You are not surprised? Gabriel has never involved himself before. He does not fight."

"True, but if he felt choosing was unavoidable, and let's be realistic, it is, is it so surprising that he'd choose Lucifer. Out of all of us, Gabriel was the closest with Lucifer, and he made no secret that he resented you and Father for casting Lucifer out," Raphael said.

Michael stood up angrily and stormed across the room. "He is defying Father's will!"

Raphael rolled his eyes. He began to find Michael's talk of Father's will tedious. Don't get him wrong, he loved his father, but he found being so devoted to a dead man's will rather redundant. He did of course still want the apocalypse, but for a different reason than Michael. He couldn't care less about the Plan. He simply wanted paradise. "Gabriel is unimportant."

Michael whipped around at his brother. "How can you say that?! He has my vessel! And what is Lucifer trying to accomplish by withholding Dean Winchester from me? And why has he not attempted to take Sam?"

"Well, he doesn't seem to need him. Unlike the temporary vessel you took, Lucifer's appears to be compatible. Perhaps he's willing to keep the one he has," Raphael said.

"That is not the plan," Michael said in frustration.

Raphael resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. "Do you really think Lucifer gives a damn about the plan. He's been defying Father's plans for over a millennia."

"Then what is his plan?" Michael asked.

"I suppose we will need to find out," Raphael said, sounding slightly bored at the prospect.

"Yes, find out. I want to know what Lucifer is planning. I want to know everything that has occurred we last had information on the Winchesters. Find Castiel. He will know. Send someone back to Bobby Singer as well. It is unlikely that Lucifer left him alive, but if he has, I want to know everything the hunter knows," Michael said.

"Fine," Raphael said before getting up and heading for the door.


	40. Chapter 40

The next morning, Gabriel was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Sam and Dean to get up. He planned to speak to them both about Lucifer when they got up. He hadn't gotten home until after they were asleep the night before. After he was done with Lucifer, which wasn't for a couple of hours, as he totally unburdened himself to his brother, he needed some more time to calm down. He wouldn't allow the boys to see him so vulnerable. They needed him to be strong.

Sam soon came out and joined Gabriel. "Hey. When did you get in last night?"

"Pretty late," Gabriel said.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked as he sat down.

"As okay as it was when I left. I just wanted to to hear what happened from Lucifer. It was pretty much what Bobby said just with a little more detail," Gabriel said.

Dean came in a second later looking quite unhappy. "Coffee."

"Yes, Master," Gabriel said dryly before snapping up cups of black coffee for both Dean and Sam.

"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked.

"Tried. It's eight-thirty in the freaking morning," Dean grumbled before taking a large gulp of his coffee.

"No one made you get up," Gabriel pointed out.

"And you're used to being up early," Sam said. They'd both always been pretty light sleepers. That was part of the job of hunting.

"Yeah, well, I've gotten used to it over the last week," Dean said before addressing Gabriel. "And I got up because I heard you and I wanted to hear what happened with your asshat brother."

"Yeah, we need to talk about Lucifer," Gabriel said.

Sam frowned. "You said nothing happened, that he just explained what happened with Michael and Raphael."

"Yeah, but what he did with them changes things. He's earned my trust. Now, I told you I wouldn't bring him around unless you…"

"Wait, one good deed and the Devil is absolved?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"It's not my job to absolve him. That's the old man's kick. But I trust him. He didn't have to help us. He certainly didn't have to protect Bobby," Gabriel said.

"He's got a point, Dean," Sam said.

Dean gave him a look of disbelief. "Are you kidding me? The dude started the apocalypse. Hell, he's responsible for creating demons! You wanna trust him?"

"You were willing to," Sam pointed out.

"I was out of options! I didn't know what was really going on here. I was trying to save you and it was my only choice," Dean said.

"And we are now too, except the danger is fact instead of just believed. Look, I haven't wanted to say this, but it's become even more clear. We're not going to be able to keep this a secret much longer. Michael's going to find out," Gabriel said truthfully. He really didn't want to have to tell them that. He wanted to be able to assure Sam that he would be protected, but both he and Dean needed to know the truth. They needed to know that this wasn't just going to go away.

Sam and Dean both stiffened, both knowing what it meant. Dean worried that his brother would be hurt or killed while Sam worried about everyone else. He worried for Gabriel, Dean, and Cas, as well as the world, because Gabriel had been clear that this would end pretty much everything.

"Bobby's gone. He's hiding and the dicks don't know where he is. He's the only one they could yank the information from. Maybe they won't find out," Dean said.

"They'll get it one way or another. It would be unrealistic and dangerous for us to believe otherwise. We have to prepare for the worst. That's why we need Lucifer. He's the second archangel to be created. That means out of all of us, only Michael is stronger. He would be a huge help. I want to bring him here, but I will not unless both of you are okay with it," Gabriel told them. He'd originally only stipulated Sam's agreement, but Dean was a part of his family now too. He'd said as much to the kid, and if there was a risk to anyone in the house from Lucifer, it was Dean. He wouldn't do it without his okay as well.

Sam looked at his brother. "Dean, he did help Bobby. He could've just killed him after Michael and Raphael left, but he didn't. He tried to protect him instead. Bobby chose not to take it, but the offer was still there."

"So you trust him?" Dean asked, still very wary.

"No, but given the situation, I think we need to at least give him a chance," Sam said.

Dean looked to Gabriel. "You better watch your jackass brother. You don't let anything happen to my brother."

Gabriel smiled. Dean was trying to sound tough and intimidating, but Gabriel could see the deeper meaning. It came with having watched both these boys grow up. Dean was giving him his trust. "You have my word."

"Fine," Dean said. He still didn't like it, just like he didn't like it the first time he'd agreed to work with Lucifer, but as it was then, he would do anything to help his brother. He would literally work with the Devil.

Sam nodded his own agreement. "When are you bringing him here?"

"Soon. I'm gonna get him and Castiel. We all need to talk and figure things out. But first, breakfast. Put your orders in."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam and Dean were hanging around in the living room when Gabriel teleported in with Castiel and someone they didn't recognize, whom they could only guess was Lucifer.

Sam and Dean both got up. Dean positioned himself in front of Sam. Gabriel seemed to trust that his asshole brother wouldn't hurt Sam, but until he reached the same conclusion, Dean was going to be cautious.

Lucifer smiled slightly. "Dean. Hello, Sam."

"Lucifer," Sam said tightly.

Lucifer smirked. "That should be _Uncle_ Lucifer, right?"

"Lucifer, don't push it. And make sure you remember what i said before bringing you here," Gabriel said.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "I'm not allowed to kill or harm the human. I didn't do that to the old man, so why do you think I would do it now?"

"Maybe because you're the Devil," Dean said.

"Enough. Let's sit down and discuss things," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers and conjuring a couple more chairs.

"I am still unsure this is wise, Brother," Castiel said to Gabriel. While Lucifer's actions lately suggested that he might be less of an enemy, the idea of working with him still made Castiel uncomfortable.

"It doesn't seem like we have much choice here, Cas. We need him," Dean spoke before Gabriel was able to.

"I trust him, Castiel. He's proven to me that he's on our side," Gabriel said.

Castiel nodded reluctantly and sat down in one of the conjured chairs. Lucifer sat in the other one, Gabriel took the recliner and Sam and Dean sat on the couch.

"Alright, so what's the plan on dealing with your dick brothers," Dean asked.

Lucifer glared at him. "First, keep your mouth shut about our family. You're not worthy to speak of our brothers in such a way."

"Then you owe me the same courtesy. Dean's my family," Sam said glaring back just as strong.

Lucifer looked at his nephew for a minute and then nodded. "Alright, Sam, that is fair. Anyway, Michael doesn't know anything substantial yet, except that Gabriel took the two of you and killed another angel, although he might still think I did the last thing. He at least thinks I'm responsible for all that."

Castiel frowned at Gabriel. "You said you did not kill Jedidiah." Jedidiah was the only other angel that knew of Sam's existence, so he was naturally the angel Castiel believed to have been killed by Gabriel.

"I didn't. I altered his memory. I killed Zachariah," Gabriel said.

Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You killed that SOB. Oh, Gabriel, I think we're finally starting to click, like you wanted."

"Why did you kill Zachariah? I mean, he was an asshole, but I can't believe that was your reason," Lucifer said.

"He tortured Sam and Dean," Castiel said.

"He removed my kid's lungs!" Gabriel snarled.

"And broke his legs," Dean growled.

"That I didn't know. I would've broken his before I killed him," Gabriel said.

"You took care of it, right? You made sure there's nothing to bring back?" Lucifer asked.

"Of course I did. I destroyed every single part of him as soon as I was done with Jedidiah," Gabriel said.

"Then how do they know he's dead?" Dean wondered.

"They're guessing. He did disappear for no reason. It's a logical conclusion," Gabriel said.

"As logical as Michael blaming me. I'm assuming that was the plan," Lucifer said.

Gabriel grinned at his older brother. "Sorry, Luce, but you make a pretty good scapegoat."

"So Michael really doesn't know anything," Dean said.

"He knows Gabriel is involved and that's enough. Michael is going to do what he must to find out why Gabriel 'turned on him'," Lucifer said before turning to Castiel. "He will certainly be looking for you, probably guessing that you know something."

"He is always looking for me," Castiel said simply. This wasn't alarming to him because he knew Heaven would love to find him and punish him for choosing Sam and Dean and going against the plan.

"Still, be more careful. The stakes are higher now," Gabriel said.

Castiel nodded.

"They also made another move against Bobby Singer, well, his home anyway. My demons were mostly all killed and they're circling his home. If they haven't figured out he's not there, they soon will," Lucifer said.

"Unfortunately, Bobby's on his own. We can't help him unless he prays. We need to focus on Michael. He will find out eventually," Gabriel said.

"So what do we do?" Sam asked.

"All we can do is get ready to fight," Lucifer said.

"You'll destroy the world," Sam objected.

Lucifer swatted the area in front of him like Sam's concern was meaningless. "The world was half-destroyed anyway."

"Screw you, man! The end of thousands of lives is not trivial! It's not just here either. This could destroy your home and family too!" Sam yelled.

"We've had this conversation, Sam. I will do what it takes to save you. I don't care what happens to this world or Heaven," Gabriel said firmly.

"I am not worth this! Dean, say something!" Sam begged.

"What do you want me to say. If you expect me to fight them on trying to save you, it's not gonna happen," Dean told his brother.

"What? They are going to end the world. That is what we've been trying to prevent! That was the whole point of saying no!" Sam exclaimed.

"This is different. Saying no, trying to stop the apocalypse, it had mostly advantages. Yeah, people still died, but it was still better," Dean said.

"And it still is," Sam argued.

"For the world, maybe, but not for me and definitely not for you. When it comes down to it, I'm selfish. You're always gonna come before anything else, Sammy, even the entire world," Dean said firmly.

"And you've already admitted you'd do the same for him," Gabriel pointed out. "And I do not want to hear again how you're not worth it! I'm sorry, kid. This is how it's going to be."

"Perhaps there is another option," Castiel said.

Gabriel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, already having figured out what his brother was going to say. "Do not talk about finding the old man again!"

"I don't understand why you're so against it. He could end all of this," Castiel said.

"Two reasons. One, it's useless. He obviously doesn't want to be found. Two, I don't know what side he'd fall on. He created the law about nephilims. I will not risk my son," Gabriel said.

"He must already know about Sam though. This could not be hidden from him. He hasn't made any move against Sam. In fact, he helped by putting him and Dean on the plane once Lucifer was release," Castiel said.

"You both make good points. He probably does know about Sam. Hiding it from Michael is much different than hiding it from Dad. That's simply not possible. Although, I agree with Gabriel that he probably doesn't care. So go ahead and look for him, Brother, but I doubt it will do much. He may or may not have put the boys on a plan, but it doesn't seem like he'll do much else. Fighting is the only option," Lucifer said.

"I need to be alone for a while," Sam said before getting up and walking out of the room.

Dean went to follow, but Gabriel's voice stopped him.

"Let him go, Dean."

Sam meanwhile went into his bedroom. He couldn't let this happen. He would not. He would not let the entire world suffer for him, someone who wasn't supposed to exist, even if that meant he had to give himself up to Michael.


	41. Chapter 41

A few days later found Sam walking into the kitchen to find Gabriel and Dean at the kitchen table with Lucifer. Lucifer's presence immediately alarmed Sam, making him think something had happened. "What's he doing here? Is something wrong?"

"Why would you think that, Sammy? 'Cause the devil's sitting at the kitchen table like it's normal?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"Nothing's wrong. Lucifer's gonna help with your training," Gabriel said.

Sam frowned slightly. "Why do I need him to help with teleportation training?"

"We're not doing that today. We're gonna go back to physical training. I want you to train with Lucifer a little. I'm hoping a different partner will help you come along, especially since you've spent so much time wanting to kill him," Gabriel said.

Dean grumbled. He really hated this plan and he'd made it clear that he hated it before Sam got up, but both angels promised that Sam wouldn't be hurt. No part of him trusted Lucifer, but he was trying to trust Gabriel. It was hard for him to trust anyone with Sam. He barely trusted his own father with him sometimes, but he was trying with Gabriel to make things better for Sam. He at least trusted that Gabriel was devoted to protecting Sam.

"But you said teleportation traveling was more important. We should be doing that," Sam said. Honestly, he wanted to master teleportation so he'd be able to leave the house. Over the last few days, he'd made his decision. He was going to surrender to Michael. He knew his death would hurt Gabriel and Dean, but it was better than the world ending or the people he cared about getting killed for him. Besides, he wasn't supposed to exist anyway. He was really just correcting a mistake.

"You're doing well enough to stop for a few days. Look, if you're worried about the last time, you don't have to be. We're archangels, remember?" Gabriel asked.

"What happened?" Lucifer asked his brother.

"Power surge. He threw me into a wall with a punch," Gabriel said.

Lucifer looked at Sam impressed. "Wow. It takes some real power to take an archangel down so easily."

"Well, I wouldn't say he took me down, but I agree. He wasn't too happy though," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, days old chick flick moment," Dean said.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother and went and sat down next to him.

"Well, you weren't thrilled when you broke Raphael's arm that time your power got the best of you," Lucifer said.

"Nope. In fact, I used that as an example when Sam got upset," Gabriel said.

"I didn't tell you this. Michael would've yapped at me for about a century if I did, but I thought the little runt deserved it. He didn't go calling you weak after that," Lucifer said with a smirk.

Gabriel snickered. It was funny to him now. It was not then. Raphael had been a dick then, but he was his brother and he hadn't wanted to hurt him. But now that it was several thousands of years later, it was funny. "Anyway, Sam, I know that it upset you, but once you get better, you won't have to worry about it."

Sam nodded, letting his father think that was the main reason he didn't want to do the physical stuff. It was partly true. He did fear what he could do with his strength, but he was more concerned with learning how to completely teleport on his own. "Okay."

"Alright, we'll eat and head out," Gabriel said before snapping up some fruit for his son and then Dean's normal breakfast order.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Michael stalked towards his brother's office. He was getting more and more irritable. He still had no information on the Winchesters or whatever Lucifer and Gabriel were up to.

Michael barged into his brother's office and found him with a palm pressed against another angel's forehead. "What are you doing, Raphael. If Jedidiah needs healing, you have disciples for that. Your priority is supposed to be on the Winchester situation!"

"Michael, I am in the middle of something here," Raphael said as calmly as possible without looking away from the angel in front of him.

"You are supposed to be busy elsewhere! Have you located Castiel?" Michael asked.

"Damn it!" Raphael swore before removing his hand and then waving it, sending the young angel instantly away.

"Are you going to answer me now?" Michael asked impatiently.

Raphael sighed. "Well, when you barged in, I was trying to gain information. Jedidiah was the last one to see Zachariah before he was killed."

"Yes, I know. He was questioned and could give us no answers," Michael said irritably.

"Yes, but it occurred to me that perhaps what he said wasn't true."

"You believe he lied?" he asked furiously

"No, he didn't lie. His memory was altered, and not just of the incident. He has several blocks in his memory, going back years," Raphael told him.

"So restore it," Michael said. Clearly Jedidiah knew something regarding this matter. They needed to know what it was now.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Yes, Michael, that idea occurred to me. I am not an idiot fledgling. I was attempting to do so when you arrived. It didn't work. Jedidiah's memories was not just removed. They were completely destroyed. There is no restoring it."

"Lucifer," Michael growled.

"Or Gabriel," Raphael commented.

"If it was Gabriel then it was on Lucifer's orders," Michael said. "Any leads on Castiel?"

Raphael shook his head. "Castiel is falling. It is even harder to track an angel whose Grace is deteriorating."

Michael huffed and angrily threw everything on Raphael's desk to the floor, breaking a good portion of it.

Raphael glared at his older brother for a moment before restoring everything with a wave of the hand. "I'd appreciate you leaving my belongings alone."

"We need to find them! We need the Winchesters in place! We need to find out what Lucifer and Gabriel are up to!" Michael yelled.

Raphael resisted the urge to smirk. Everyone always thought that Lucifer was the perpetual child with all his tantrums, but Michael could be just as childish when things fell apart around him.

"Things are not supposed to go like this," Michael said. He didn't understand why this was happening. The final plan was well documented. He and Lucifer were supposed to take their vessels and fight. The end result would be one of them dead and paradise. Why was all of this happening. It wasn't his father's will and nothing should be able to disrupt his will.

Suddenly an idea came to Raphael. "I believe I have a solution. The Prophet that sees the Winchesters. Surely he would know what has happened with them."

"This has just come to you?" Michael asked irritably.

Raphael glared. "I did not see you coming up with the idea any sooner." His brother's intolerable attitude was beginning to piss him off. If he was anyone else but Heaven's commander, he would've been dealt with by now.

"Well, go," Michael ordered. He'd do it himself, but that would require finding another temporary vessel, which could take a while.

Raphael disappeared a second later.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Chuck sat at his computer writing. Upon feeling a presence behind him, he clicked out of what he was doing and turned around. He stood up after seeing who was behind him and took a giant step back. "Y...you're the ar...archangel!"

"Where are the Winchesters?" Raphael demanded to know.

"What?" Chuck asked as he continued to back up.

"I have lost my patience, Prophet. Tell me where the Winchesters are immediately!" Raphael growled.

"I...I don't know," Chuck said.

Raphael reached the prophet in a second and grabbed him by the shirt. "Do not lie to me! You are attunedFor to the Winchesters' entire lives! You see everything!"

"Not always! Sometimes it changes. I haven't seen them in weeks!" Chuck exclaimed.

"You are lying!"

"No! I'm tellin the truth! I haven't seen anything! I don't know where they are!' Chuck swore.

"What is the last thing you saw?" Raphael asked while probing the Prophet's mind. He was getting nothing, just jumbled thoughts, probably because the man was petrified.

"Not for weeks! I last saw them in a motel room between hunts. That's it," Chuck quickly.

Raphael placed his free hand on Chuck's forehead, much as he did with Jedidiah earlier. He could read any human's mind, but to retrieve memories they weren't thinking of, he needed to touch them. But as he looked, he found nothing. The prophet's visions just stopped. It made no sense. No one should be able to interfere with a prophet's visions. The only way would be if someone had completely altered the course Destiny was supposed to take. But how could one interfere with God's word.

"Things have changed. I don't know how or why, but things are just different now," Chuck said.

Raphael let him go and then disappeared.

Chuck stood in spot for a moment and then went back to his computer. He pulled up his writing, rereading his latest Chapter of the Winchesters and the angels protecting them. Chuck smiled as he read. Yes, things had changed. The story was different. No one would be prepared for how much.


	42. Chapter 42

Sam, Dean, and Gabriel were sitting at the kitchen table about to eat dinner. Castiel and Lucifer were also there so that they could discuss the Michael thing while they ate. Gabriel had snapped up a bunch of steaks, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, which he and the boys were already digging into.

"Are you idiots gonna eat or just watch us, because that's just weird," Dean said as he filled his own plate.

"We have no need for human food," Castiel said simply.

"Neither does Gabriel, but he's eating," Dean pointed out.

"Dig in, both of you. It tastes good," Gabriel said.

"But I don't need…"

"Just do it," Gabriel said with a roll of the eyes.

Castiel frowned, but started putting food onto his plate.

Lucifer did the same and took a bite. "Huh. I guess humans aren't completely useless."

"I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about humans, Luci. You're growing as an angel," Gabriel said with a smirk.

Lucifer simply rolled his eyes.

"So any news on Michael?" Gabriel asked.

"No, but unless he spoke to me directly or did something to bring attention to himself, which is not something Michael does. Raphael, yes, but not Michael. But I'd guess that we'd know if he'd figured it out. We have some time," Lucifer said.

"Wouldn't be better not to wait until he figures it out. Element of surprise and all," Dean asked.

Gabriel stiffened a bit. Dean's words were logical. Surprise was always better, but this was the death of his brother they were talking about. He would do it in a heartbeat to protect Sam, but protecting his son and attacking his brother before he could even become a threat were two different things.

Lucifer, meanwhile, glared at Dean. "This might not have occurred to you, but Michael is our brother! We do what we must, but you are suggesting murder!"

"You planning to kill him anyway," Dean pointed out with a scoff. He could understand it if Gabriel had been the one to make such a point, but Lucifer always knew he was going to fight Michael to the death. Acting like he gave a damn now was crap.

"In a mutual fight, not an ambush, and only because I had no choice!" Lucifer growled.

Sam, meanwhile, was even more solidified in his decision. He saw how Gabriel feared having to do the worst and actually kill his brother or be killed by him. He could save him from that, even if he would still feel some pain. "There's no reason to do it now. Hell, we shouldn't at all."

"He's right. Oh, not about the latter, but the former. We should wait, at least get Sam more trained."

"He's not fighting. I put these two in an alternate universe before the worst happens, that way they'll be safe," Gabriel said.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Dean asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe he was being cut out. He wasn't exactly anxious to help destroy the world, but he did want to help protect his brother.

"Did you honestly think I'd let you fight. I won't let Sam fight and he has some ability. You have none," Gabriel said.

"I'm a hunter!" Dean bit out.

"Fine, go take on a bunch of demons or werewolves. You're out of your league here. We're archangels. I could kill you right now by snapping my fingers as easily as Gabriel did to snap up this food," Lucifer said bluntly.

"I'm not staying locked up somewhere while my brother's life is being fought for!" Dean said.

"Yeah, you are," Gabriel said in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Back to what I was saying, Gabriel, I never expected you to let Sam fight, but just in case, he should be prepared," Lucifer said.

"Yes, I know. That's why we've been training," Gabriel said. They'd made a lot of headway with physical training in the last few days. Sam was practicing with Lucifer, which worked well. Sam wasn't too fond of Lucifer yet, so he was less worried about hurting him, which allowed him to let go some.

"Yeah, but he needs more to be ready if Michael gets to him. That's all I was trying to say. We should start trying to make him realize other powers, like smiting," Lucifer said.

"Okay, first of all, that power wouldn't kill Michael. Second, it takes a lot of power. He might not have that ability," Gabriel said.

"True, but it's worth a try, and while it might not kill Michael, it will hurt," Lucifer said.

"Shouldn't what I'm already learning come first, like teleporting," Sam asked, angling to go back to teleportation training. The rest was meaningless because as soon as he got that under control, he was planning on leaving and finding Michael.

Gabriel smirked at his son. "I knew you were enjoying that. The few times we did it, you were having fun with it, huh?"

Sam forced a smile on his face. Yes, he had enjoyed it then, but there wasn't really anything enjoyable now. There wouldn't be for him or his family.

"We can do more of it tomorrow. I do agree with Lucifer though that we should start trying to work on other powers too. We'll try smiting a day or two later, but like I said, it takes a lot of power, so if you manage it, be warned that it will probably wear you out," Gabriel said.

"What other powers could he end up with?" Dean wondered.

"There's a wide array of things. Telekinesis, telepathy, healing, control of the weather. The list of possible powers is endless. He may even gain some archangel powers since he's the son of one," Lucifer said.

"Dude, pray you don't get telepathy. The one power I wouldn't want is the one to know what's going on through the sick minds of other people," Dean said.

"Can you read my mind?" Sam asked. He had to assume they couldn't otherwise they would be all over him for what he was planning to do.

"No. Even before your Grace began to grow, I couldn't. Tried, just to see if I could. All we get is static," Gabriel said.

"The only being whose mind we can't read," Lucifer said.

"You didn't notice that, Cas?" Dean asked. That should've been the first clue for the angel that his brother wasn't a typical human.

"I never tried to read his mind. I cannot read human minds," Castiel said.

"He's not high enough up on the pole. He can only read angel minds. Zachariah could've. Thankfully, he never tried either," Gabriel said.

Sam finished eating and stood up. "Well, I'm tired. I'm gonna head to bed."

"Good idea. We both know you need energy for teleporting. It usually knocks you out, so you should get a good night's sleep," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and headed out of the kitchen.


	43. Chapter 43

The next day, Gabriel had brought the boys back to the same park in his reality that he did every time they did teleportation training with Sam. Lucifer and Castiel were there as well. "Alright, so this time we're going to focus on specific locations since you know now have a good handle on just plain teleporting."

Sam nodded. "How come they're here?" he asked, referring to Lucifer and Castiel. He of course didn't mind them being there. Well, he didn't mind Cas being there anyway. But he wasn't sure what either angel could do with this part of his training.

"Well, Luci insisted. He was feeling a bit left out," Gabriel said with a smirk.

Lucifer smacked him on the arm playfully.

"And we decided to make Castiel come as a form of tough love. He needs a break from his pointless mission," Gabriel said.

"It is not pointless, Gabriel. Finding Father is extremely important," Castiel argued.

"If he wanted to be found, there would be no point of even looking because he would've made his presence known," Lucifer said in a bored tone.

"I don't say this often, Cas, but they're right. God clearly doesn't give a crap. Let it go," Dean said.

"Cas, they just mean they care about you and don't want you to hurt because you put all your faith in someone who might not deserve it," Sam said. He knew they were trying to help Cas in their own way, but they were being a little too blunt about it, especially Dean and Lucifer.

"I am not going to give up. I believe Father will come through," Castiel said firmly.

"Well, for now, we have training to do. Alright, I've widened the parameters quite a bit because I wanna eventually see you do with long distances," Gabriel said.

"But you have. You told me I ended up in Aruba when it first happened," Sam said.

"Yeah, but that was when you had no control over it. I want to see how well you do with control. We're also going to give finding certain people a try," Gabriel said.

"Okay, what first?" Sam asked.

"We'll start simple. Remember the beach you teleported to the first day we started?" Gabriel asked.

Sam nodded.

"I want you to picture every aspect of that beach. Then you're going to try teleporting there by using that picture.

Sam closed his eyes and did as Gabriel suggested. He pictured the water, the sand, and the surrounding bars and shops around it. When he opened his eyes again, he was there. He'd done it. He'd successfully teleported to a specific place. Of course, there was a saddening element because it meant he didn't have long left. Soon, he would be dead, and as much as he knew it was for the best, it scared him.

Soon, the three angels and Dean were in front of him. Gabriel was grinning proudly. "Nice going, kid."

"Did it on the first try. That is very impressive," Lucifer sai.

Sam forced a smile on his face. "Should we do it again?"

"Yeah, let's try a couple of more times to make sure you've got it down. Try the house this time. Again, picture everything. Think about the living room and everything in it and it should take you there," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and repeated the process he'd just completed. He made it to the house even quicker. They did it with couple more places before going back to the park.

"Alright, so now we're going to try with people? Lucifer?" Gabriel signaled.

Lucifer nodded and disappeared.

"I want you to find him," Gabriel said.

"Wait, if angels can find and teleport to other angels that easily, wouldn't Michael have found us by now?" Sam asked.

"Well, normally you wouldn't be able to find Lucifer, but because he's close and is opening up his Grace to you, you'll be able to. I want you to know how to do this so that should you ever have the need to find a human you'll be able to. Angels can find most humans just by thinking of them. I'd use Dean as an example, but he's sigiled and I won't risk removing it, even for a few minutes," Gabriel explained.

"How do I do it? I feel like finding an angel is kind of different than getting to a location," Sam said.

"Sense his Grace. I know you must have feel something different about us, telling you that we're not human. I also think you know somehow the individual differences between us. Think about everything you feel and sense every time Lucifer comes over," Gabriel said.

Sam did know what his father meant. He thought maybe it was in his head, but when one of the three angels were around, which was almost all the time, it was like he'd know who they were even if he didn't know their faces. So he focused on Lucifer. He tried to replay the sensation every time the fallen angel was around. It was kind of hard, but he was pretty sure he'd found him, so he allowed his power to take him away. Moments later, he was on a street corner in a suburban neighborhood.

Lucifer was in front of Sam and started clapping. "Excellent job, Nephew. I thought it would take longer. You're getting this down."

Sam nodded. "The sooner the better."

"Always a good motto. Although, if Michael does find you, this might not be too much help, unless he finds you before he realizes what you are. You'll be able to use the shock to escape him. Otherwise, he can stop you from teleporting," Lucifer said.

That was no problem for Sam. When he came face to face with Michael, he had no intention of teleporting. That defeated the purpose of surrendering. "Uh, now that we're alone, I have a question for you. I couldn't expect a truthful answer from Gabriel or Cas."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow as if telling him to go on.

"I know that if Michael gets his hands on me, he'll kill me. That's been made clear. But how bad will it be?" Sam asked. He needed to know what he was in store for. Nothing would change his mind. This was the right thing for everyone, but he wanted to know what to expect.

"How bad will death be? How bad is it for anyone?" Lucifer asked with a snort.

Sam glared at him. "We both know there are varying degrees. I watched my brother get torn apartr by a hellhound!"

"Why are you asking this, Sam?" Lucifer asked. He wasn't liking this question one bit. Sam should not be thinking of the possibility of Michael winning.

"Because no matter how much any of you tries, there's still the chance that you could lose and I'll be killed. I need to know how it will go," Sam said.

Lucifer sighed. He supposed that made some sense. Lucifer would want to know too if it was him. He'd want to be prepared for the worst. "It won't be like Dean's death. Michael isn't cruel. Though one could argue that coming after his nephew at all would be cruel and I would be on the side of that argument. But his position would only be to follow Dad's will. He would do it as quick as possible."

Sam nodded, feeling just the slightest bit better about his pending death.

Soon, Gabriel, Dean, and Castiel arrived. "What are you two doing? You were supposed to come back afterwards."

"Aw, did you miss us, Brother," Lucifer asked with a wry smile. He knew his nephew would not want Gabriel knowing what they discussed, and there was no point in telling him anyway, so he would keep the confidence.

"Not you," Dean grumbled.

"Let's get back to it," Sam said.

Gabriel nodded and they continued their training.


	44. Chapter 44

Sam was in his bedroom writing the equivalent of a suicide note, actually two of them, one for Dean and one for Gabriel. It was time to do this. Waiting any longer would just make things worse. He had teleporting pretty much down. It was time to go.

Sam soon heard a knock on the door. He quickly hid the notes in a book and put them under his pillow. "Come in!"

The door opened and Dean walked in. "Hey, Dude."

"Hey. What's up?"

"Was hoping you could tell me. You okay? The last day or so, you've been kind of distant," Dean said.

Sam sighed. He had been distant. Every since the last teleporting session, he'd been planning for his death. Being around Dean and Gabriel knowing that he was planning to leave them was just not something he was comfortable with. He felt guilty about the pain he was about to cause them. It had to be done and he hoped they'd see that it was necessary, but he didn't want to hurt them. "Yeah, man, I'm okay. I've just been doing a lot of thinking."

"Is this about the fight that's gonna go down? I know you're not happy about that," Dean said. Honestly, he wasn't happy either. The hunter in him told him that starting a war that would end the world for one person was wrong. But the brother in him didn't give a damn. Sam came first. He always would.

"My life isn't worth the destruction of both our world and Heaven. It's not worth Gabriel going to war with his own brother," Sam said.

Dean huffed. "Stop freaking saying that! You're worth all of it, Sammy! Stop thinking like those dicks upstairs! You don't deserve to die because of what you are! What you are isn't bad!"

"Okay, this conversation is pointless. I really don't wanna fight about it tonight," Sam said. This was not the last thing he wanted his brother to remember when he thought about their last moments together. He didn't want their last words to be a fight.

"Fine, but I don't want you thinking your not worth it. You're my brother. I'd do anything for you," Dean said.

"I know. You've done that all my life. You've always put me first, even though it wasn't your responsibility. You were my whole world, Dean. Thank you," Sam said.

"Okay, if you get to veto a conversation topic, so do I. This chick flick moment is not happening," Dean said.

Sam chuckled. "Fine."

Just then, they heard Gabriel's voice. "Come on, Boys! Dinnertime!"

"Good. I'm starving," Dean said before heading for the door.

"You always are. I'll be right there," Sam said. He waited until his brother was gone and took out a cellphone. He'd stolen it from Cas when he was last there. He'd planned to use it to get Gabriel out of the house and distracted so that he wouldn't notice he was gone. It was the only way he could get around Gabriel's ability to sense him wherever he was.

Sam shot his father a text pretending to be Cas, hating himself as he did it. He was going to be causing Gabriel stress when there was no real problem.

Once he was done, Sam shut the phone off and put it on the dresser before heading out of the room. Dean and Gabriel were already sitting down, serving themselves beef stew.

"Come eat, kid," Gabriel urged before his phone went off. He immediately pulled it out. "Huh. A text from Castiel."

Dean snorted. "Who taught Cas to text?"

"I did," Sam said quickly as he took his seat.

Gabriel's eyes widened as he read the text. Castiel was saying that Michael had closed in on him and needed some help.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, having seen the archangel's face.

"Michael found Castiel," Gabriel said before dialing his brother's number and putting the phone to his ear. He waited for a response and then scowled. "Damn! The phone's off now!"

"Well, go find him. You have to help him," Sam said.

"We have to. Let's go," Dean said as he stood up.

"No, you're not going anywhere. I will find him," Gabriel said before disappearing without another word.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean cursed. He hated being stuck there while a friend, hell, a family member, was in trouble. He was a hunter. It wasn't in his nature to sit at home while others fought.

"I, uh, I'm hungry anymore," Sam said before standing up.

"Yeah, me either," Dean said. He was too worried about Cas to think about eating.

"I need some time alone. I'll be in the other room," Sam said.

"Sam, wait. This isn't your fault," Dean said. He could only assume that his brother's reason for trying to get away from him was that he felt guilty.

"It actually is, Dean," Sam said before walking away. He went into his room and closed the door. He took out his letters from his hiding place and made sure he'd said everything he wanted. Then he set them down on the bed and disappeared.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam reappeared in front of Bobby's house. He figured this was the best spot to meet an angel. Lucifer had said that while Michael probably knew Bobby was gone, he would likely have some angels watching in case he came back.

Sam had found he couldn't go in the house. The sigil Lucifer put up apparently kept him out too, but he could stand outside and wait. He didn't have to for long though. He felt a presence soon after and knew somehow that it was an angel.

A man with dark hair wearing a white long sleeve shirt and black pants made his way over. "Who are you? I can feel your Grace, but I can't tell who you are, Brother."

"Take me to Michael. He'll want to talk to me," Sam said.

The angel, who Sam somehow knew was named Hosea, frowned. "Go to him yourself."

"I can't. Just take me to him or bring him here," Sam demanded. This needed to happen fast. He didn't know how long he could keep Gabriel from realizing he was gone. Once he did, he find him in seconds.

Before anything could happen though, the scene around Sam changed. He was now in a slightly familiar house. He quickly remembered who it belonged to, but he couldn't understand why he was there. He certainly hadn't gone there intentionally. "What the hell?"

"I promise you that's the one place I'd never reside," a familiar voice said.

Sam turned around and found himself face to face with a man he'd met just a couple of times. He wasn't surprised to see him, as it was his house, but again, he didn't understand why he was there.

"Hi, Sam," the man said from his position in the desk chair by his computer.

"Chuck."


	45. Chapter 45

Dean went to check on Sam about five to ten minutes after he disappeared into his room. He decided he wasn't going to let his brother mope over his guilt. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Whatever happened to Cas was because of his asshole brothers, not Sam. Cas was doing what he had to to help Sam, like any family member should.

Dean knocked on the door and received no answer. "Sam."

There was no response.

Dean sighed and let himself into his brother's room. "Sam, come on, I'm not gonna let you…" He trailed off when he realized he was talking to himself. Sam was nowhere to be found. "What the hell?"

Dean suddenly noticed the two pieces of paper on his brother's bed. He went over and picked on of them up. As he read it, his eyes became as big as saucers. It was a freaking suicide note! Or close enough. Sam explained in the note that he was going to surrender to Michael. He wanted Dean to know he was sorry for the pain this would cause him and that he hoped he could forgive him.

Dean could feel nothing but fear as the letter he'd just read dropped to the floor. His brother had gone to get himself killed. No. Dean couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his brother die. But what could he do. He was locked in and Gabriel was gone. "God, Sammy, no."

Dean started wildly looking around the room, as if trying to find some way to fix this and stop his brother. His eyes finally stopped on the dresser and phone laying on top of it. He immediately went over and grabbed it, examining it carefully. It wasn't Sam's. Neither of them had a cellphone here. There was no need for it since the few people who would contact them had Gabriel's number and they were mostly always with him.

Dean turned the phone on and waiting for it to boot up. The first thing he saw when it was finished was a text message to Gabriel that sounding just like the one Cas had sent to him. This was Cas' phone, but how did it get here.

Realization hit Dean hard. Sam. Sam must have sent that message. He'd taken Cas' phone and sent that message to get rid of Gabriel. He'd been planning this for a while.

Dean searched the call log and hit Gabriel's name before pressing the phone to his ear.

The phone was answered on the first ring. _"Castiel, are you alright? Where are you?"_

"Gabriel, it's Dean."

" _Dean? How do you have Castiel's phone. What's going on?"_ Gabriel said.

"It was a trick, Gabriel. Cas didn't send that text. Sam did it to get rid of you," Dean said quickly.

Gabriel appeared behind Dean with Lucifer. He'd gone to Lucifer to help look for Castiel. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Dean turned around and shut the phone. Then he picked up the second letter from the bed, the one Sam wrote to Gabriel and held it out for him. "He's surrendering to Michael."

Gabriel quickly snatched the letter and read it, becoming more afraid with every word he read. His kid had been planning to die. He was going to hand himself over to be executed! "No."

"Find him, Gabriel. You told me you could sense him," Lucifer said.

Gabriel nodded and sensed for himself. He was relieved when the connection was picked up immediately. "He's still alive. I'm gonna go get him, after which I will make him wish I hadn't!" Gabriel said before disappearing. Mere seconds later, he appeared back in the room, alone."

"What happened? Where's Sam?" Dean asked.

There was nothing but fear on Gabriel's face. "I couldn't get through. Something's keeping me away from his location. I can't get to him!"

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Sam stared at Chuck for a couple of moments before asking, "How'd I get here?"

"Teleportation," was Chuck's only reply.

"I know that, but I didn't do it, at least I don't think so," Sam said. He thought he had teleportation down. Was he wrong? Had he accidently teleported away and coincidently made it to Chuck's.

"No, you didn't. Have a seat, Sam. We should talk," Chuck said as he pointed to the couch a couple of feet away.

Sam looked at the prophet suspiciously. In the few minutes that he'd been there, he'd noticed that Chuck didn't act like he usually did. The alcoholic prophet was usually nervous and shaky. He was neither right now. "You're not Chuck, are you?"

"I'm the same person you met last year if that's what you mean. Please sit," Chuck requested again.

Sam was very aware of the way his question was answered. "What are you?"

"Let's say we're family. Now, I've asked you to sit twice. Please don't force me to make it a demand," Chuck said with just a bit of firmness and throwing the slightest bit of power out for Sam to feel.

Sam felt the slight power touch him, or his Grace would probably be more accurate. If he didn't already know, it was definitely proof that he wasn't human. The fact that he said he was family had to mean he was an angel.

Chuck cleared his throat to get Sam's attention and remind him to do as he asked.

Sam pulled from his thoughts and slowly walked to the couch and sat down.

"Thank you," Chuck said politely.

"So you're an angel? Why couldn't Cas tell? Why can't I tell?" Sam asked. He seemed to be able to identify angels, even tell who they were. But he had no idea who Chuck really was, only that he wasn't human, and that was only because the man had all but admitted it and then threw a bit of power at him.

"No, not exactly," Chuck said.

"But you said you were family. My family are angels. Well, angels and…" Sam trailed off as the possibility hit him. But it couldn't be, right? He couldn't have been hidden as Chuck the whole time. "No."

Chuck did nothing but smile in response.

"Oh, my G…?" Sam trailed off again as it truly hit him. He was in the presence of God himself. His grandfather.

"Yes, I imagine I am a bit intimidating to you, as you grew up as human. But you needn't be intimidated. I am your family after all. That is all," Chuck said.

"D...did you bring me here to kill me?" Sam asked finally able to speak in complete sentences again. "I was looking for Michael, but I suppose it makes no difference. Go ahead."

"Why would I do that? If I'd wanted you dead, I would've let you get to Michael. I would've allowed my son to carry out my will. He is quite eager to do so," Chuck said.

"Then why?" Sam asked.

"That isn't clear? To stop you. I'd hoped it wouldn't be necessary. I'd hoped you would come to understand the foolishness in your choice, but I suppose that was too much to ask of such a young fledgeling," Chuck said.

Sam frowned at the term God used for him. Fledgeling seemed to mean the same as child. He wasn't a child. He was twenty-six years old.

He chuckled. "Yes, a man for a human, but so incredibly young for an angel. It becomes more complicated because you're both, but even so, compared to someone as old as me, you're so very young and prone to poor decision making."

"You can read my mind?" Sam asked.

"Yes. I imagine I'm the only being that can. Don't worry, I don't make a habit of it. I would normally respect the privacy of your mind, however, with your lack of good judgment lately, I deemed it necessary," Chuck stated.

Sam bit his lip. He wanted to argue the point, but he was slightly afraid that arguing with God wouldn't exactly end well for him.

"Please, speak freely," Chuck encouraged.

"I didn't have a choice," Sam said.

"Of course you did. No one made you try to sacrifice yourself and leave behind the people who love you," Chuck said.

"You have to know what's going on, since you seem to know everything about me. Gabriel is prepared to go to war with Michael and Lucifer is backing him. If they kill each other, it'll destroy the word, and Heaven too," Sam said.

"Then that is on their heads, as well as Michael's. It certainly doesn't mean you must die to stop it," Chuck said.

"I'm not even supposed to exist!" Sam exclaimed.

Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose. "Outlawing nephilims. That is the one decision that will haunt me."

"Y...you regret it?" Sam asked.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Sam. It appears not even I am exempt from that. When you were born, I was prepared to do what you want me to do now. End your existance. But I got a glimpse of your pure soul, as well as the future that you would one day have," Chuck said.

"Then you should've killed me. I've made so many mistakes. I started the apocalypse. I let Lucifer out," Sam said.

"Hmm. But who is to say Lucifer was not meant to be freed, more to the point that he wasn't meant to be freed by you? Sam, I don't think you realize the way you touch lives, and that includes Lucifer's. Lucifer was quite content to continue on the same path he was set on before his punishment. He was ready to fight Michael to the death," Chuck said.

"He still is," Sam pointed out.

"Ah, but for different reasons. He no longer fights to prove a point. He fights to protect, to save something that is more than worth it. Lucifer hasn't changed his views, but he's begun to return to who he once was just the same. The brother, and now uncle, who always put family first. And of course Gabriel. You can't imagine what you've done for his life. He was broken when he left home. His family had been destroyed. He went on after joining the Pagan Gods, but he never healed. You gave him that ability. He still hurt, but he had a new reason for being. You. As I said, you touch lives," Chuck said.

"Why are you saying this now? Why not change the law years ago, or at least fix it when Gabriel started fearing for my life. We wouldn't have had to live in fear, to stay in hiding," Sam said.

"But so many events would've been different then. Who knows what would become of Lucifer or the apocalypse that has since stopped? But more importantly, your relationship with your father would've never emerged had I just fixed things a couple of months ago. You both deserved that relationship and you have it. You begun to get close to your father in such a short time, partially because you never really had one who was there for you. You have that now, even when you don't want it. I can almost promise you won't want it when you go home to night and face his ire. And make no mistake about it, Sam, you _will_ be going home to your father tonight," Chuck said in a firm tone.

"The world will be destroyed if I don't end this," Sam said.

"Protecting the world is not your burden to carry, however, I can promise you that your course of action will not protect it. Come here," Chuck said before standing up.

Sam hesitantly stood up and walked over to him.

Chuck pointed to the computer.

Sam leaned down and started to read what was on the screen. One paragraph caught his attention and sent him reeling.

 _Gabriel stalked through Heaven with his blade drawn. He was consumed by grief and rage. His son was dead. He never knew more pain than this in his very long life. But he would have vengeance for it. Michael had murdered his son and now Gabriel was going to murder Michael or be murdered by him. At this point, he didn't care which._

Sam stood up and took several steps away from the computer like it would attack him. "No!"

"I see you didn't see this coming. It really never occurred to you that your father would seek revenge? Your choice won't stop anything, Sam. All it will do is cause pain," Chuck said.

"Then you stop it. You can stop this. You can tell Michael this isn't your will," Sam said.

Chuck shook his head sadly. "I cannot continue to dictate my sons' lives. That is why I left in the first place. I wanted my children to learn to stand up without my help. This is a lesson Michael especially needs to learn. He needs to decide what is the right choice, not the choice he believes I'd make. If he can't, he'll have to accept the consequence. Speaking of consequences, it is time for you to go home and face yours. Your father is worried, extremely so since I have blocked his ability to reach you here. I'll not let him worry anymore. You can feel free to tell him what you want, but I'll be leaving this vessel soon after I send you on your way."

Sam winced at the prospect of facing Gabriel. "He's gonna kill me."

"Were you not ready to face your own death when you chose to go to Michael?" Chuck asked with a smirk before snapping his fingers and sending Sam home.


	46. Chapter 46

Gabriel was really losing his mind as he stood in the living room with Dean and Lucifer. He'd tried over and over again to reach Sam and failed each time. He could sense him, but he couldn't access his location. Something kept him from getting to his son. Sam had gone to his death and there didn't appear to be anything Gabriel could do about it.

Gabriel shook his head as soon as that last thought entered his brain. No, he was not going to sit back helplessly as his brother murdered his son. "I'm going to Heaven."

"They're not in Heaven, Gabriel. You haven't fallen, so no one would be able to keep you out but Dad," Lucifer said.

"Maybe not, but someone will be there that can tell me where they are. I will rip my way through every angel there if I have to," Gabriel swore.

"He's right. We can't just leave Sammy. We have to do something," Dean said. He too was scared. His little brother had just made the biggest dumbass move of his life and was in serious trouble. Dean would be damned if they just sat there and waited until he was dead.

"But we can't even be sure if Sam has gotten to Michael. Sam himself might be the one blocking you, Gabriel. If that's the case, going to Heaven…" Lucifer trailed off and stared behind his brother and the Winchester boy.

"What?" Dean asked impatiently.

Gabriel was the first to turn around and see his son standing there. He let out a large breath and immediately went to his son, pulling the kid into his arms.

Sam awkwardly hugged Gabriel back. This was new for them. Gabriel had never hugged him before, probably because he knew Sam would be uncomfortable with it. Now, however, the archangel didn't seem to care.

Gabriel held tightly for a good couple of minutes before finally pulling away, though keeping a good grip on his shoulders. He looked him up and down for any sign of injury. "Are you okay?"

Sam nodded.

Gabriel finally relaxed and let go.

Sam didn't have much time to recover because seconds later, he found himself in a bone crushing hug with his brother. This one wasn't awkward, as they'd hugged before, but he still felt uncomfortable as he held onto his brother's shaky form. Feeling his brother so shaken was very disconcerting for Sam. Dean rarely showed a physical sign of emotion. It made Sam feel really bad.

Dean finally pulled away. "You never do that to me again, Sammy, I swear to God I'll kill you," he said in a broken voice.

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Gabriel asked in a frosty tone. Relief was gone now and had been replaced with anger. No, anger was too tame a word. So was furious or livid. In fact, he believed that a new word needed to be made to describe the level of anger he felt right now. He'd known that his son wasn't happy about the plan for dealing with Michael, but he never considered that Sam would actually try to get himself killed. He didn't think Sam had so little regard for himself that he would literally throw his life away. Well, that was not going to be tolerated. Gabriel would ensure that. This was never going to happen again.

Sam risked a glance at his father and instantly regretted it. The large glare made him feel so incredibly small, which was a feat given his height. The massive anger displayed on Gabriel's face even put John Winchester to shame. He really should've considered this when he made his decision. To be fair though, he hadn't anticipated he'd live to face his father's anger.

Gabriel pointed a finger to the couch without so much as taking his eyes off his son. "Sit!"

No part of Sam would dare even think of not complying. He immediately and very quickly walked over to the couch and sat down.

Dean walked over and plopped down as well. His biggest nightmare was finally over and he could relax.

Gabriel walked over and stood in front of Sam. "First, I have some questions about what happened tonight and you will answer them honestly. Do you understand me?"

Sam nodded.

"After you manipulated me out of this house and made me think my brother was in trouble, where did you go?" Gabriel asked angrily.

Sam flinched at the first part of the question. "Bobby's. Lucifer said angels were probably watching it, so I figured I could get one to take me to Michael."

"You're gonna tell me everything that happened right now," Gabriel said.

Sam sighed. "An angel showed up after I got there. He sensed my Grace. He thought I was just an angel he couldn't identify. He asked who I was, but I ignored the question and asked him to take me to Michael. He suggested I do it myself, but obviously I couldn't and told him that. I think he was about to take me, but I got pulled away first."

"What do you mean pulled away?" Lucifer asked as he stepped closer to them.

"He pulled me away from the angel, stopped me from getting to Michael," Sam said.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Chuck," Sam said, unsure how to broach the whole God thing. It was weird to tell anyone, even archangels and his brother that he'd just had a conversation with God.

"Chuck? The freaking prophet who knows all about our lives? He couldn't pull you away from an angel," Dean said. The dude was a skittering mess, and human. He didn't have that kind of power.

Sam chuckled. "I'm pretty sure 'Chuck' can do just about anything, Dean. He's not who we thought he was. I mean, Chuck Shurley may or may not be a prophet…"

"He is," Lucifer confirmed.

"But the person we met wasn't really Chuck," Sam said.

"Then who was he, Sam," Lucifer asked.

Sam bit his lip. He really wasn't sure how well this would go over.

"Sam, you are trying my patience, which are already at an all time low," Gabriel warned.

"It was your father," Sam finally answered.

Slowly, both archangels' mouths dropped open in shock. Neither one of them could seem to form a single word, they were so dumbfounded.

"Hold on, did you just say you had a conversation with God?" Dean asked in complete disbelief.

Sam nodded. "We both have actually, more than once. We just didn't know it."

"Are you…? Really?" Lucifer finally spoke with no small amount of shock in his voice.

"Yeah. Like Cas figured, he knew everything about me. I thought he brought me there to kill me himself. I wanted him to," Sam said.

Gabriel let out a very hiss of anger at his son's last comment.

Lucifer placed a calming hand on his brother's shoulder. "Okay, Sam, comments like that, you may want to omit."

"Keep going," Gabriel said through gritted teeth, barely containing his rage.

"He brought me to stop me and to let me know that he wasn't happy with my choices. He doesn't want me dead. He said he even regrets making the rule," Sam said.

"Good. He should freaking regret it! So did you listen to him at least? Because apparently what the rest of us think about you staying alive doesn't matter," Dean said irritably.

"I was trying to save the world, Dean," Sam argued.

"Did Dad say anything else of importance?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah. He's not going to stop Michael. He says Michael needs to figure out that he's wrong for himself," Sam said.

Gabriel got even more angry, this time at his father. Oh, he was grateful that he'd saved Sam, but angry that he was willing to chance the kid getting killed by Michael in the end.

Dean grumbled angrily as well. "That's just freaking awesome.

"Anything else?" Gabriel asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, that's when he sent me back."

"Okay, well, I'm way too angry to deal with you tonight. Rest assured though, we are going to have a long conversation tomorrow, when I hopefully have cooled off a bit. So, you're going to go to bed right now. I'll be coming in to put you to sleep shortly because I can't seem to trust you not to disappear on me and place your life in danger the minute my back is turned!" Gabriel said angrily.

Sam felt like a little boy who was being sent to bed early for misbehaving. It was clear to him that was how he was being treated. Any other time, Sam would fight it in outrage, but right now, he was unwilling to test his father.

Gabriel pointed to the kitchen, which led down to the hallway.

Sam immediately stood up and headed out of the room.

Gabriel let out a sigh as soon as his son had left the room.

"Are you okay, Brother?" Lucifer asked.

"No! I almost lost him tonight," Gabriel said with a shudder.

"You didn't, Gabriel. He's okay, thanks to Dad. I never thought those words would cross my lips again," Lucifer said. He was still surprised that his father had gotten involved. He'd been sure the old man was just done. That he'd given up on all of them.

Gabriel turned to Dean. "Thank you for not interfering."

"You were right for everything you said and whatever you say tomorrow. The freaking moron nearly got himself killed, on purpose! That's so God damned messed up! It can't happen again," Dean said. Today had nearly killed him. It wasn't the first time Sam had been restless, but it was the first time he purposely set out to die. Dean knew he might not be one to talk, but he didn't care. He would not let this happen again. Gabriel's methods for making sure of it might seem weird for someone Sam's age, and a couple weeks ago, he would've hated them, but now he thought if they worked, so be it.

"Oh, it will _never_ happen again! I will see to that," Gabriel vowed.


	47. Chapter 47

Morning came all too quickly for Sam. He slept pretty good thanks to Gabriel. He was actually glad for the childish way he'd treated him because he knew damn well that if he'd been left to sleep on his own, it wouldn't have ended well. He would've spent half the night preoccupied with whatever was going to happen today.

Of course, now that morning had come, he wished it hadn't. Gabriel had been so angry last night, more so than Sam had ever seen him. While the angel may have cooled off since then, Sam couldn't imagine it was much better. He was going to get his ass reemed.

Just then, the door opened and Dean stood in the doorway. "Hey. Gabriel wants you to get up. He wants you at the table in twenty minutes."

"How is he?" Sam asked as he sat up.

"Pissed. He's better than last night, but he's freaking pissed still. You expect it to be any different?" Dean asked.

Sam winced. He knew he'd had an effect if Dean was agreeing with Gabriel. Dean tried with Gabriel a lot more, but he still didn't seem to like him much, so the fact that he was sticking by him meant something. "Look, Dean, I know you're pissed too, but I was trying to save the world."

Dean huffed and walked further into the room. "You nearly got yourself killed! On purpose! Do you get how messed up that is?!"

"Dean…"

"I read your freaking suicide note! Do you have any idea what that was like? My brother disappears and in his place is a freaking piece of paper telling me I'm never gonna see him again! Then Gabriel couldn't get to you. You should've seen how badly that freaked him out," Dean said. He was actually kind of moved when he thought about last night and how Gabriel reacted. He'd grudging accepted that Gabriel was Sam's father, but he didn't really see him as such until last night when he'd seen the absolute panic in his eyes, and later the relief. Gabriel loved Sam. That was pretty damn clear now.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I just couldn't stand the thought of millions of people and angels dying in my name. I had to stop that from happening," Sam said, his tone begging Dean to understand.

"And how about the rest of us? Did it ever occur to you that we wouldn't be able to stand it if you were gone?" Dean asked. He didn't wait for an answer though. He angrily left the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam had taken a quick shower, got dressed, and was out in the kitchen within fifteen minutes. When he got there, he saw Gabriel sitting alone at the table. As Dean said, he appeared less angry than last night, but still quite mad.

Gabriel pointed to the chair directly across from him, indicating for Sam to sit. He was in a slightly better mood than last night and very glad he'd waited to have a conversation with Sam about his choices. He was sure he would've said something he'd have regretted if he hadn't. "What do you want to eat?"

"Just some fruit and coffee is fine," Sam said as he sat down. He really didn't have an appetite, but he figured he should eat something.

Gabriel snapped it up immediately.

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked.

"He decided to eat in his room. Eat. Then we're gonna talk," Gabriel said.

Sam winced as he realized his brother chose to eat elsewhere because he didn't want to talk to Sam. He ventured it would be quite a while before his brother forgave him.

Sam picked up his fork and began eating. There was a very awkward silence as he did so, one Sam didn't dare break. The silence would only last so long and then he'd probably wish for it back.

Once Sam was done, Gabriel snapped away his bowl away and looked at him. "How long?"

Sam knew immediately what the question referred to. "I started thinking about it right after the first meeting with both Lucifer and Cas."

"So that's why you kept pushing the teleportation training, huh? You wanted to learn so you could sneak away. But I guess you realized I might notice is I was here, so you used Castiel to get rid of me," Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Sam said quietly.

Gabriel took out his phone, displayed the text from Cas and slid the phone across to Sam. "Tell me something. How would you have felt if you received a text like that from Dean or who you thought was Dean?"

Sam shuddered. He would've lost his mind if he thought something was happening to Dean. When he did it, he tried not to think about how worried Gabriel might be. He just wanted to end this whole thing.

"You let me think my brother was in trouble. You manipulated me and lied to me. Oh, and you also broke a promise to me. You remember giving me your word that you would stay put once you learned to teleport?" Gabriel asked in a hard tone.

"I didn't know then that…"

"I don't care! I trusted you to keep your word! I trusted you to show some regard for your life! Not only did you show no regard for it, you flouted it! You tried to throw it away, literally. Everything else pisses me off, but that is one thing that infuriates me and scares the crap out of me!" Gabriel yelled.

"Look, you wouldn't listen to me! I told you I didn't want innocent people being sacrificed for me!" Sam yelled back.

"Cut the crap! You will not make this my fault!" Gabriel said firmly.

Sam sighed. "I told you over and over again that I didn't want to be the reason people died."

"And exactly what did you think would change with your asinine plan? Did you really think your death would end it all? You think I could just move on knowing my brother had killed you? I would've hunted him down and made him pay!" Gabriel told him.

"I know that now. _He_ gave me a glimpse of what would happen if he hadn't stopped me. I never thought about it before," Sam said.

"Yeah, that's obvious. It's also obvious to me that you didn't give a thought to anybody who cares about you," Gabriel said with a glare.

"No, that's not true. I did think about you. I knew you'd be hurt, but…"

"Hurt? You really think that's a strong enough word for it. I explained to you what it was like for me when you died before. I was ready to kill myself and Dean was so destroyed that he sold his soul for you! And you would put us through that again!" Gabriel seethed.

Sam bit his lip and looked down at his hands.

"Look at me," Gabriel ordered.

Sam slowly lifted his gaze back up to his father.

"You nearly destroyed us last night, Sam. Dean and I were losing our minds! He showed me your suicide note. You have no idea what that did to me. Then of course finding out that I couldn't get to you. I had to sit there helpless and wait for the moment that I'd feel you lost to me!" Gabriel said in a cracked voice. He'd tried to keep nothing but anger in his voice, but he failed. Thinking of the fear and helplessness he felt last night was breaking him.

Hearing his father's pain had an effect on Sam. He knew Gabriel and Dean would be hurt, but didn't realize how badly. Hearing it now hit him hard. It made him feel guilty. He'd put them through a lot of pain. "I'm sorry."

Gabriel took a couple of deep breaths to get himself back under control. "I believe you. I believe you're sorry, but I don't think you're sorry for the right reason, or I should say for the most important reason."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked confused.

"You're sorry Dean and I were hurt, and I'm glad, but I don't think you're actually sorry for your actions," Gabriel said.

Sam sighed, but said nothing. He couldn't say anything. Gabriel wasn't wrong. He still kind of believed in what he tried to do. He believed that the best way to save the world was to take him out of the equation, and if he didn't know that Gabriel would just retaliate against Michael, he'd do it again given the chance. He was sorry for what his choice caused, but not for the choice itself.

"And that leaves me with a big problem. My son is suicidal and I'm gonna have to do something about that," Gabriel said.

"I'm not suicidal, not the way you're thinking," Sam protested.

"Really? You left suicide notes and took off with the intention to die. You may have planned on letting someone else do it for you, but the rest is the same. You tried to kill yourself," Gabriel said.

"But it's not like you're saying. I don't want to die," Sam said.

"Your actions speak louder than your words and they say you do," Gabriel said.

Sam shook his head. "No! I was just trying to protect the world. My life is not worth that!"

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated it when his son said that, but at the same time, he was starting to wish he'd paid more attention when he had. Maybe he would've seen this coming. Sam didn't think much of himself, which always bothered Gabriel, but he didn't think it would get to this point. He didn't think Sam was like most other suicidal people. He didn't have such a low opinion of himself that he was desperate for death, but he had no regard for his own life and that wasn't much better. He wanted to die because he didn't see himself as worth the trouble. Somehow, Gabriel had to find a way to make Sam realize that being a sacrifice was not his only worth. "Kid, saying things like that worries me even more."

"Look, I won't do it again," Sam said. He wouldn't, though only because there wasn't any point. Gabriel would just go after Michael anyway.

"I can't chance that," Gabriel said. While he was sure Sam wouldn't try the exact same thing, that didn't mean he wouldn't stop trying to end his life. He might even do it himself next time. Gabriel had to make sure that there was no next time.

"I promise," Sam said.

"Hmm, promises. They stop being effective when you start breaking them. You broke one promise to me, why would I trust another one?" Gabriel asked in a hard tone.

Sam felt like he'd been punched. It was a massive blow to hear from someone you care about that he doesn't trust you, but it was worse that Gabriel was right not to. Sam would love to insist that he was trustworthy, but Gabriel was right. Sam had already broken a promise and lied to him. What reason did he have to trust him. "You don't trust me. I guess there's nothing else I can say to convince you then."

"No, there's not," Gabriel said firmly. He wasn't going to make this easy on Sam. He was going to have to live with the consequences of betraying his trust and earn it back slowly.

"What now then?" Sam asked quietly.

"Like I said, I have to do something to make sure this never happens again. I will tolerate a lot, Sam, but my kid trying to get himself killed is not one of them. Say goodbye to your privacy. It's gone," Gabriel said in a tone of finality.

"What does that mean?" Sam asked with a small amount of shock in his voice.

"It means that other than when you're sleeping or it's otherwise strictly necessary, like using the bathroom or showering, you won't be left alone. You will stay where I can see you at all times, and I'm sure you've anticipated this, but your teleportation ability will be blocked," he said firmly.

"No, you can't do this!" Sam exclaimed.

"You did this, Sam, not me," Gabriel said calmly.

"I'm not a kid! You can't punish me like this!" Sam continued to yell.

"I'm not punishing you. I'm making sure you don't end up dead. If that means keeping you my presence, so be it. Be grateful. Any other person who tries to kill themselves and fails usually ends up locked up with doctors following them around all the time," Gabriel said.

"Gabriel…"

"This conversation is over. My decision is final."

Sam sighed, giving up. He wanted to argue more, but there wasn't much point. Gabriel wouldn't change his mind and there was nothing Sam could do about it. "For how long?"

"Until I'm sure you're no longer a danger to yourself. I'd say it'll be a while," Gabriel said before standing up. "Come on. Living room."

Knowing he had no real choice, Sam got up and followed.


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: I was asked about the horsemen and if they were still bound to Lucifer at this point. This story starts off at the very beginning of the season, after just the first few episodes, so I think the only horsemen that would've been bound by then is War, which Sam and Dean already stopped. Lucifer has since stopped all efforts to the apocalypse due to the knew developments of Sam and Gabriel.**

The next few days had been very difficult for Sam and didn't promise to be any better for a long time. Gabriel had kept his word. Sam had not been allowed out of his sight unless he was asleep or taking care of personal needs. Even when he went to bed there wasn't much privacy. Gabriel made him leave the door open.

Then there was Dean who had stopped talking to him altogether. Sam kind of wished that his brother would start yelling at him again. Instead, he wouldn't speak to him at all. He understood that Dean was really upset about what happened, but he thought at least Dean would understand what he was thinking. He didn't. There was no part of his brother that emphasized, even though Dean had sacrificed himself before.

Sam was currently laying in bed, trying to get just a few moments of freedom before being forced into the constant overbearing presence of an archangel. It didn't last long. Within five minutes, he heard the familiar voice of said archangel.

"Sam, I know you're awake! You've got twenty minutes to do what you need to do and get out here!" Gabriel's firm voice stated.

Sam huffed and got up. He grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom. He quickly showered and got dressed before making his way out to the kitchen. He heard Cas' voice as he got close.

"...Lost my phone. I could not contact you," Castiel was saying.

Sam turned the corner and saw that Lucifer was also there. Gabriel must have fixed the shields to allow the two angels come and go as they pleased because he doubted his father had left him alone to go get them.

"You didn't tell him?" Gabriel asked Lucifer.

Lucifer shook his head.

"Good, Sam should have to," Dean said.

Sam winced at the thought of having to tell Cas how he used him. He supposed it was only fair though. He had stolen from Cas and used him to manipulate Gabriel.

"I do not understand," Castiel said.

"I've got your phone, bro. It's in the living room," Gabriel said.

Castiel frowned in confusion. "I dropped it here."

"No," Sam spoke, drawing everyone's attention to him. Dean was right. No matter how much he didn't want to, he had to be the one to tell Cas. "I took your phone, Cas."

"Why? Were you in need of a phone? I would've let you borrow it. Although, I don't understand why you'd be in need of one," Castiel said.

Dean snorted from his seat at the table. "Trust me, Cas, you wouldn't have let him borrow it if you knew why he wanted it."

"I took it to trick Gabriel. I wanted him to think you were in trouble so he'd leave," Sam said.

"That seems quite cruel. Why would you do that?" Castiel asked.

Sam flinched slightly. "I wasn't trying to be cruel. I just didn't know any other way to get him out of the house. I wanted him to leave so I could. I was going to find Michael."

Castiel's eyes widened with a mix of shock and horror. "What? Sam, he would've killed you! You know this. It is all that is discussed lately."

"That was his plan," Gabriel said, a little of his anger coming back.

"You wanted to die?" Castiel asked in disbelief. He could not understand why Sam would want to die. He knew there were humans that wished to die, though he could never understand why they'd squander the gift his father had given him, but he understood even less why Sam would. He had several people who loved him and wanted to save him. Even Lucifer cared for Sam. That should tell him alone how important he was.

"No, I don't want to die. I just don't think there's any other way to stop a war from breaking out," Sam said.

Castiel frowned deeply. "You were willing to die to avoid a fight?"

"Yes. I'm one person. The world and Heaven are more important. Aside from everyone in this room and Bobby, no one's going to miss me," Sam said.

"I swear to God I'm going to smack you in a minute," Dean said gruffly.

"Sam, your life matters. No one wants you to die. Do not do this again," Castiel said.

"He won't," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam sighed walked over to the table, sitting down beside Dean and across from Gabriel.

"So you were able to figure it out, Brother? You stopped him?" Castiel asked Gabriel.

Lucifer snorted. "That's not exactly how it went. We found out, but we didn't stop him. The old man did."

Castiel's mouth dropped open. "You mean Father?"

Gabriel nodded. "It looks like you were right, bro. Dad does want Sam to live. Although, not so much that he'll get involved."

"You met him, Sam?" Castiel asked, still shellshocked.

"Yeah. You have too. He's been in Chuck the whole time," Sam said.

"The prophet? That's not possible," Castiel said.

"Trust me, it is. He got to me just before an angel was going to take me to Michael. He told me he was wrong to declare that my kind be destroyed," Sam said.

Lucifer looked at Sam surprised. "You never said he admitted to being wrong. I would've paid to hear those words.

Castiel looked between Lucifer and Gabriel. "I told you he was still there for us. He saved Sam."

"Yeah, and I'm grateful, but don't get excited, Castiel. He was only stopping Sam from giving away his own life. He's not going to stop Michael from taking it," Gabriel said bitterly.

"He's right, Cas. He's not planning to get involved. This is basically a test for Michael. He wants Michael to make his own choice," Sam said.

"You know, why does Michael get a choice?" Lucifer asked irritably. Yes, he was aware of how childish he sounded, but it annoyed him. He'd made a choice and was cast out for it. Now Michael was being allowed to make his own choice. How in the hell was that fair?

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Get over it, Lucifer. Your jealousy isn't important right now."

"Think of it this way, Lucifer. Michael's the one he thinks is wrong now," Sam said.

"Did… Did he say anything at all about me?" Lucifer asked. He was planning to ask that question when he was alone with Sam, but Gabriel had informed him that he wouldn't be leaving Sam alone for a long time.

"Yeah, he did. He implied that I was meant to free you. I implied that this was all supposed to happen. That I would have an effect on you, one that would have you stopping the apocalypse. Of course, I pointed out that another one was about to start, but he said it was different since the reason was different. He didn't exactly say the words, but I think he was kind of proud of you. He said you were becoming who you once were," Sam told him.

Lucifer just stared as emotions he hadn't felt in a while came back. He'd felt nothing but anger and a desire to prove himself right for thousands of years. Now he was feeling hope, hope that his father might be able to love him again and would accept him back. He had to get out of there. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this. "I have to go."

Once Lucifer was gone, Sam turned to Gabriel. "I don't know why I care, but is he okay?"

Gabriel nodded. "He'll be fine. He just doesn't like it when others see him vulnerable. I'm glad you told him that. It might help him change back even more."

"Is Father still in Chuck?" Castiel asked.

"No. He said he was leaving as soon as he sent me back. He knew one of you would try to find him," Sam said.

Castiel looked kind of dejected. "I suppose I should leave as well then."

"You don't have to. You're not going to find Dad. You may as well just stay here for a while," Gabriel said.

"Thank you, Brother, but I need to go for now," Castiel said.

Gabriel sighed and snapped his fingers. A phone appeared on the table. "There's your cellphone."

Castiel took the phone and turned it on. He looked on the screen and gaped when he saw the text. He looked at Sam slightly unhappily. "This is the message you sent?"

"I'm sorry, Cas," Sam said before looking down.

"I do not believe I'm the one you should be apologizing to. This was cruel, though less cruel than actually attempting to kill yourself. Do not do this again, Sam," Castiel pleaded again.

"Don't think I'll have the chance," Sam said quietly and a bit bitterly.

"No, you won't," Gabriel said firmly

"That shouldn't be the only thing that stops you," Dean growled before getting up and storming out.

"Well, he's talking to me at least," Sam mumbled.

"I should go. Sam, Dean is right. You should not want to do this," Castiel said before leaving.

Seeing the dejected look on his son's face, Gabriel took pity on him. "Sam, Dean will get over it eventually."

"Will you?" Sam asked.

"Sam, you're my son. No matter what, I love you," Gabriel assured him. He would not have his son thinking that he was so angry that he didn't love him anymore. Sam needed to know that he would be forgiven no matter what he did.

"But you don't trust me," Sam said.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry that hurts you. It hurts me that I can't trust you. I'm afraid that trust is something you're going to have to earn back. But everything else you have. My love, my forgiveness, They're always going to be given to you," Gabriel promised.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't see any other way. I still don't," Sam said. No matter how sorry he was for the pain he caused or how much he hated the consequences his actions caused for himself, he still thought it was right.

Gabriel stiffened. Sam had pretty much just admitted that he didn't think his decision was wrong. He'd do it again. But at least he was being honest, even if it was something Gabriel didn't want to hear. "Look, Sam, things are gonna be hard for a while, okay? There's a lot that the three of us have to work through, but we will. I promise things will be alright."

"What about Michael?" Sam asked.

"Listen, you need to stop making Michael and this upcoming war your responsibility. It isn't. You never asked for any of this and it's not your fault that the world's biggest daddy's boy can't think for himself. But you know what, Michael is a problem for another time. I'm more concerned with you right now. Now, how about breakfast. What do you want?" Gabriel asked.

Sam's stomach growled at the mention of food. He was actually quite hungry this morning. "Uh, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast sounds good."

"Ooh, yes it does. Me too," Gabriel said with a smile before snapping up three identical plates, knowing Dean would want it too. "Dean, get your ass our here or starve!"

Sam chuckled and started digging into his food.


	49. Chapter 49

Sam was sitting on the couch next to Dean while Gabriel sat in the recliner as they watched a movie. They'd pretty much been in the same spots all day. Sam had attempted to get Dean to talk to him, but so far he'd had no luck. The best he'd get were one word answers and that was if he was lucky. Finally, he'd given up and just sat there in awkward silence since he wasn't allowed to leave the room.

Soon enough, it hit about nine-o'clock and Sam decided he couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to get out of there, even if it meant going to bed. "Gabriel, I'm gonna turn in."

"Alright. The door stays open," Gabriel reminded him.

Sam quickly got up and left the room.

Gabriel muted the TV and turned to Dean. "You really think this is helping anybody?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Dean said without taking his eyes off the now silent TV.

"Yeah, okay. Look, you wanna let him know you're pissed, go ahead, but you're hurting him right now," Gabriel said.

Dean didn't reply. Honestly, hurting Sam was the reason he wouldn't talk to him. He was angry, both at Sam and himself, and he was afraid that if he discussed this any further with his brother, he'd make things worse.

"You're taking it too far," Gabriel continued.

Dean snorted. "This from the dude who was angrier than I'd ever seen anyone when he came back, and that comes from the son of John Winchester."

"Yes, I was angry. I am still angry and afraid, but…" Gabriel trailed off when he noticed Dean flinch slightly and look away. "Ah. It's not anger keeping you from talking to him. It's fear."

"It's both," Dean said quietly. "I'm angry and I'm afraid that if I talk to him, I'm gonna get even more freaking angry and say something terrible."

"And push him over the edge," Gabriel finished for him.

"We both know it's not just about this damn fight that's gonna go down. You've heard him. You've heard how many times he's said he's not worth this. I never thought it was so bad that he'd kill himself over it or let someone else, but it has. He's freaking messed up!" Dean exclaimed.

"Yeah, he is. But listen, he's not so screwed up that he's desperate to die. He's not going to fall apart because you get mad at him," Gabriel told him.

"Yeah, you sure? Then why do you keep following him wherever he goes?" Dean asked.

"I'm not saying there's not a problem, Dean. Suicide is a huge problem and one that needs to be taken care of. I just don't think it's quite at the point you do."

Dean shook his head. "He thinks he has to sacrifice himself for the world. He doesn't care at all about himself. It's my fault, my dad's too. You shouldn't have left him with us." He never thought he'd say those words. He didn't want to think about his life without Sam being his brother, but Sam would've been better off. He'd seen that very clearly since Sam's suicide attempt.

Gabriel sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna be honest with you. There were many times that I wished I hadn't left him with your family, sometimes I still do. But it isn't because of you. You're the only reason Sam is who he is now. It was your influence that turned him into the great person he is. I don't want to think of how it would be like if he only had John Winchester."

"No, I'm just as to blame. I can see how clearly me and my dad screwed him up now. I didn't wanna see that. I've hated how Sam sees you as his father a little more every day," Dean said.

"Oh, I know you have," Gabriel said with a small chuckle.

"But Dad damaged Sam. He wouldn't have accepted Sam for what he is and Sam knows it. I know that can't help his apparently really low self-esteem," Dean said.

"Nope. I'll be honest, Dean. I've hated your father for what he put Sam through. He treated both of you like soldiers, expecting you to put your lives on the line for his thirst for revenge. So, yeah, Sam's self-sacrifice definitely comes from him. And yeah, I have a feeling that if he was here, he'd be no better than my brother, Michael," Gabriel said.

"I'm no better either. Did you see what I was like with Sam after Lucifer was released?" Dean asked. He'd been so angry then. He'd pushed Sam away. While he hadn't forced him to leave, he did wonder if he was the real reason Sam did leave for that short time.

"No. I was setting up for this. From the moment Castiel branded you two with those sigils, I saw an opening to make sure my son stayed safe and started planning for it," Gabriel told him.

"Yeah, well, I was a dick. I didn't care what he'd been trying to do. All I cared about was the demon blood and that he'd chosen a demon over me. I pushed him away, told him I didn't trust him," Dean said guiltily.

"And you think that led to this?" Gabriel asked.

"Part of it maybe. I just don't wanna screw up like that again. I'm pissed and I'm afraid that if I open my mouth, I'm gonna say something that kills him," Dean said. He was angry at himself and also at his dad, but he was angry with Sam too for taking this road, for planning to leave him. He was afraid of making things worse

"Dean, if there's any reason Sam has to live, it's you. You mean everything to him. Yeah, you've hurt him sometimes and he has you, but that's how it works. You're not responsible for what he did. If anything, you're the only reason he has any kind of self-esteem. But I'll be honest, you might make it worse by pushing him away," Gabriel said. He understood the blame game Dean was playing. He played it too. It was natural when someone you loved was falling a part. All he could think about was how he should've seen it. He knew Sam didn't have great self-esteem, due first to John Winchester and then again to the fact that he wasn't human and was considered abominable to angels, his own family. Gabriel felt like he should've realized how bad this really was for his son. He should've at least been paying better attention

Dean considered the archangel's words. He hadn't thought about that. It was all really messed up. He didn't know what would help his brother or what would just make it worse. "Fine. What am I supposed to do then. How am I supposed to get him through this?"

" _We,_ Dean. How are _we_ supposed to get him through this? Try to remember you're not in this alone anymore," Gabriel said.

Dean nodded. He couldn't believe it, but he was actually grateful for Gabriel being there. This was one mess he wasn't sure he could take care of by himself. Plus, while he'd been reluctant to admit it for a while, Sam needed Gabriel. He finally had a parent that put him first, but also wasn't afraid to tell him when he screwed up. Sam had only ever had the latter with Dean's father. Gabriel was better for him, and hopefully he could help him get through this.

"The three of us will get through this, Dean. I'm not entirely sure how yet, but we will," he promised.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Raphael was seriously irritated. Michael was pissing him off with his constant tantrum, angry that nothing was going according to the final plan and that Lucifer seemed to be stopping preparations for the apocalypse entirely. Of course, all that annoyed Raphael too, as he too wanted paradise, but at least he wasn't being so childish about it. One would think the archangel known to have the most patience would have some now. He'd had plenty while waiting for Dean Winchester to say yes, sure that it would happen. Apparently now that even Lucifer seemed to have other plans, that had changed. It probably didn't help that the prophet seemed to think things had changed.

Speaking of Michael, seconds later, said archangel stormed into his office. "I want an update."

"Yes, Michael, do come in," Raphael said irritably.

"I am not in the mood, Raphael. I want to know how the search is going for the Winchesters and Gabriel," Michael said impatiently.

"It isn't. There is no news on that," Raphael said.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Hmm. Someone who knows how to behave when wishing to enter someone's office. Enter!" Raphael called.

An angel walked in looking very nervous.

Raphael recognized his brother as the one he'd left in charge of the Singer residence. "Hosea, where have you been? You were meant to report in before now."

"I...I'm sorry, sir," Hosea said with a gulp. He'd prolonged reporting in, fearing he'd be blamed for losing Sam Winchester when the human's vessel appeared directly in front of him.

"What is your report?" Michael asked.

Hosea gulped yet again. "S...Sam Winchester appeared at Robert Singers." He neglected to tell them how long ago the man and the angel possessing him appeared and he prayed they didn't read his mind.

"What? Sam Winchester showed up. Where is he now?" Michael demanded to know.

"I...I don't know, sir, but it wasn't exactly Sam Winchester. It was his vessel, but he must have been possessed. I could sense Grace inside him," Hosea said.

Michael smiled. "Excellent! Lucifer has taken his vessel."

"No, sir, I don't believe it is Lucifer. I don't know who it was. I couldn't tell."

"What do you mean you couldn't tell? Every angel is recognized by his Grace," Raphael said.

"I know, but he wasn't. I could tell he was an angel, but not who he was," he said.

"What did he want?" Raphael asked. He and Michael could figure out who he was later. They needed the full report now.

"To see Michael. He wanted me to take him to him," Hosea said.

"He couldn't fly here himself?" Raphael asked.

"He said he couldn't."

"And why did you not bring him to me?" Michael asked irritably.

"I didn't have the chance. He disappeared. He must have teleported or someone else teleported him, but I didn't sense any of our other siblings," Hosea said.

"You wouldn't have," Michael said. It had to be either Gabriel or Lucifer that transported him away and both of them could mask their Grace. What he could not understand was why they were hiding an angel in Sam Winchester and how they were masking him and not his Grace. It shouldn't be possible.

"Anything else?" Raphael asked.

"No, sir," he said.

"Return to your post then," Michael commanded.

The young angel immediately left.

"This doesn't make any sense. No angel can hide their identity without also hiding their Grace completely. Are Grace is who we are," Raphael said confused.

"Somehow it was done. I don't understand how either, but it was. We must account for every angel. It is the only way we'll find out who it was," Michael said.

"Fine. I'll have everyone rounded up," Raphael said.

Michael nodded and left the room


	50. Chapter 50

The next morning, Sam walked into the kitchen and found Gabriel and Dean at their usual places at the table.

"Morning. You sleep alright?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah, pretty good," Sam said as he joined them. He was actually surprised by how well he slept given how tense things were with him and Dean. He expected to be up half the night worried about it, but apparently he was tired enough that he slept right through.

"Good, I want you well rested today. Lucifer and I are gonna see if we can show you how to smite," Gabriel said.

"We're still gonna train?" Sam asked. He'd thought that with his attempt to get himself killed, that would be off, at least for a while.

"Of course. I've told you, training is for your protection. Now, I decided to put it on hold for a few days to collect myself, but it's time to get back to it," Gabriel said.

"I don't know why, but I figured after what I did, we were stopping. Gabriel, I don't know if I wanna learn how to kill with my powers," Sam said worried. He hadn't mentioned this when the idea of smiting training first came up because he didn't intend to live long enough to learn it, but now he was going to, and it scared him.

"It's no different than a knife or a gun, Sam. It's just another weapon at your disposal," Sam said.

"Except I can control whether or not to shoot or stab someone. What if I can't control this?" Sam asked. He'd already experienced powers he couldn't control at first, like teleporting and even his strength. It was a pattern. What if it was the same?

Gabriel shook his head. "This isn't like the powers you've developed or ones you may get in the future. You can't lose control of smiting. It takes concentration and will. You have to decide to do it."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, still wary.

"Yeah. Listen, I know you're very wary of these powers because of the demon blood ones, but I need you to start getting that it's not the same. These powers are meant for you. You were born with them," Gabriel said. He'd said all this before, but it seemed it was necessary for him to say them again. It was especially so because of Sam's suicide attempt, as Gabriel knew Sam's fear of himself played a part. So he'd say it as often as he had to.

Sam nodded. He still wasn't thrilled, but he decided not to argue anymore.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

About an hour later, Sam was with Gabriel waiting on Lucifer. Dean had opted not to join them, much to Sam's disappointment. It wasn't that he needed his brother around all the time.

"You alright?" Gabriel asked. Sam seemed tense, and he got the feeling it had more to do with why they were there. It was probably Dean's lack of presence. Even after their conversation, Dean still seemed kind of uneasy and worried about making a mistake with Sam. Hopefully he'd figure things out soon.

"Yeah. What's taking Lucifer?" Sam asked.

"He went to get test subjects," Gabriel said.

As if on cue, Lucifer appeared seconds later with three men behind him.

Sam stiffened. He didn't know how he knew, but he could just tell these men were demons. It was like they just felt wrong to him. "Are you kidding me? You brought demons?"

"I know. I wasn't thrilled either, but they're the best test subject," Gabriel said. He'd fought Lucifer quite a bit on it, as demons were unpredictable and very dangerous, but there were two archangels to stop them. Plus, Sam was capable of defending himself against demons even as a human, let alone as a nephilim. There shouldn't be a problem.

"It was this or humans. I thought you might get a little emotional if I suggested humans," Lucifer said.

Sam scowled at him before turning to Gabriel. "You could've told me."

"Yes, but I wanted to see if you'd be able to recognize them as demons, like you can angels," Gabriel said.

"I can, though I don't know how," Sam said.

"The same way we can sense the angel in you," one of the demons sneered.

"Shut up," Gabriel ordered before snapping his fingers and cutting off all of their voices.

"There are human's stick inside them. You expect me to kill them?" Sam asked. Yes, he'd killed demons in their human bodies before, but he always hated it. That was why it was so easy to justify using his powers from the demon blood to pull demons out instead of using the knife. Still, he did it when he had to, to protect himself or someone else. But doing it simply to learn didn't sit well with him.

The three demons all started to panic and were preparing to smoke out, but found that they couldn't.

Lucifer smirked and waved a hand to immobilize them. "I bound you to your vessels as soon as we arrived," he said before turning to Sam. "Now, I assumed the vessel thing might upset you, so I made sure to choose demons whose vessels were already dead. There's nothing left to save," Lucifer said.

"Alright," Sam said, now appeased. He didn't care about killing demons. Any demon he killed was one less one that could hurt someone else.

"There are a couple ways to smite someone, though the easiest is to touch them and burn them out. Every angel has that ability. The other way, which involves basically destroying the being is pretty much limited to archangels and God himself. You might be able to do it, since you're an archangel's kid, but we'll start with the most likely," Lucifer said.

"Besides, the other way I'm pretty sure you'd find disturbing," Gabriel said. Imposion was not a pretty sight, especially for a human.

"That must of been what happened to Cas when he was killed. Chuck certainly seemed disturbed. Although, I suppose that was an act. Damn, God's a good actor," Sam said.

"Oh, yeah, always has been," Gabriel said.

"Anyway, let's get on with this," Lucifer said as he approached one of the now terrifying demons. Like I said, for this one, you need physical contact, which can sometimes be difficult."

"Not that difficult with demons. Angels are meant to be stronger. Well, than most demons anyway" Gabriel said.

"We usually place a palm on their heads of faces," Lucifer said before demonstrating with his own hand on top of the demons head "Then you just concentrate on killing them."

Sam watched as a huge bright light engulfed the demon. The demon looked to be in pain and probably would've screamed if Gabriel hadn't taken away his voice. Then he fell to the floor, his eyes burnt out and smoke coming from his body.

"I know that looked incredibly simple, but it won't be. Eventually it becomes second nature, at least for higher ranking angels, but in the beginning, it's harder," Gabriel said.

"Hmm. Fledglings always find it a bit difficult and tiring," Lucifer said.

"People need to stop calling me a fledgling," Sam grumbled.

Gabriel and Lucifer both chuckled. "Sorry, kid, but it's what you are. You're very young by angel standards.

Sam shrugged and smirked. "I suppose compared to you two old men."

"Hey!" both archangels protested.

"You started it. So do I try now?" Sam asked

"Yeah, come here," Gabriel said before he and Lucifer walked to the next demon. "Put your hand on his head.

Sam walked over and did so. Then he thought about ending the demon in front of him. He tried for about two to three minutes, but nothing happened. "It's not working."

"Like I said, it's not easy to learn. You need to use a great deal of your Grace to make this happen," Gabriel said.

"I don't know how to do that," Sam said as he brought his hand down. The only time he'd ever really used his Grace was to teleport to Lucifer that one time and he couldn't even explain how he'd done that.

"Yeah, you do. You use your Grace every time you use your powers. Hell, you used it when you recognized these demons for what they are," Lucifer said.

"I don't know how. I wasn't trying to," Sam said.

"Most of the time you don't have to try. Just like you don't have to try to breath most of the time. Your Grace is a natural part of who you are. Using it is usually effortless," Lucifer explained.

"However, you're gonna have to try now because learning this is something that takes a lot of it. Like I said, eventually, it will probably become ridiculously easy, but for now, it will take effort, plus a lot of energy," Gabriel said.

"Well, how do I do it?" Sam asked.

"Just try to shut out everything else and try to find it inside of you. Then you basically tell it what you want. It's attached to you, so it shouldn't be that hard," Lucifer said.

Sam put his hand back on the terrified demon's head and closed his eyes, concentrating on both his Grace and killing the demon. He stood like that for a good couple of minutes. He didn't know if he was supposed to feel anything or not. Could you actually feel Grace?

Suddenly, Sam felt power grow in him and coerce through his body before a light reached from his hand and channeled through the demon. It felt good, yet at the same time bad because he felt energy drain out of him as the power got stronger.

Not being able to stand it anymore, Sam let go after a few minutes and stumbled back.

Gabriel quickly caught his son before he was gonna fail. "Hey, buddy, you okay."

Sam pulled himself up straight. "Damn, you weren't kidding when you said it was draining. I feel like I'm gonna pass out. Did I do it?"

"Yeah. Not to the same extent Lucifer did, but he's dead. You did great, kid. I'm proud of you. Alright, Luci, you take care of the other one. I'm taking him home," Gabriel said before taking a firm grip on his son's shoulders and teleporting back to the house.

Dean had been sitting on the couch watching TV when they arrived. He jumped up as soon as he saw the shape his brother was in. "Sammy, you okay."

"Yeah. Apparently smiting burns a lot of energy," Sam said.

"He'll be fine. His Grace just needs to recharge. It'll get easier. It's the same as when a human starts working out only this is much more intense.

"I need to lay down," Sam said before making a move towards the couch.

"No, go ahead and lay down in your room. I want you to get some rest where you won't be disturbed," Gabriel said.

"Really?" Sam asked surprised. Since what he tried, he hadn't been allowed in there except at night.

"Yes. You know the rules though. You leave the door open," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam nodded and headed out of the room.


	51. Chapter 51

Sam knew he must have been asleep for a long time because when he woke up, it was dark. He had been extremely tired. He was still actually somewhat tired. He was also really hungry, which wasn't surprising since he'd been asleep most of the day hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Sam, you awake?" Dean asked from the doorway.

"Yeah. What time is it?" Sam asked as he started to sit up.

"After eleven," Dean said before flipping on the lights and walking into the room. "I'd almost think you got no sleep last night."

"Damn. Smiting really does drain you," Sam said, pulling his legs over the side of the bed. He had been warned, but he was still surprised he'd slept so long.

"Uh huh. You feeling better now?" Dean asked. He'd started to get worried with Sam sleeping so long. Gabriel had told him there was nothing to worry about, though Dean caught the archangel get up to check on him a few times.

"Somewhat. I'm still kind of tired," Sam said.

"Dude, you've been sleeping all day," Dean pointed out.

"What can I say? Today kicked the crap out of me," Sam said.

"Well, are you okay for us to talk for a little bit?" Dean asked. It was time to try to make things a little better between them. He was still scared he'd push Sam over the edge, but like Gabriel said, not talking to him could push him over too.

"Yeah, of course," Sam said immediately. His brother was finally talking to him again and he certainly wanted to keep that going. Even if Dean was going to scream at him, it was better than not talking to him at all.

Dean sat down on the bed next to his brother. He stared into space for a few minutes before speaking. "You've got no idea what it was like to read that freaking letter. I'll never forget a single word of it."

"I didn't wanna hurt you," Sam said.

"No, just yourself. You wanna hurt yourself," Dean said, both pain and anger laced in his voice.

"No. It's not like I have some desire die. I'm not like one of those people who need to be hospitalized because they're so messed up that they're hell bent on dying," Sam said. He hated that Gabriel and now Dean seemed to think that. It wasn't like that. He just knew that the only way to stop all of this was for him to die.

"But you are hell bent on it, Sam. You tried to kill yourself and you've all but admitted you'd do it again," Dean said with anger and fear in his voice.

"Because it's the only way to stop this! I am trying to save the world!" Sam exclaimed.

"And you're not worth the world. You've said that so many times and I've tried to block it out. I tried not to see how bad it really was," Dean said guiltily. He was so angry with Sam for what he did, for actually trying to give up his life. But he was angry with himself too, maybe even more so.

"Stop doing that!" Sam said as he stood up angrily. "Stop making this like there something wrong with me! I'm not damaged! I'm not suicidal!"

"Yeah, Sammy, you are. You tried to commit suicide. That is the definition of suicidal," Dean said.

"Yeah? Are you suicidal? You basically committed suicide too. You sold your soul and sent yourself to hell," Sam shot back.

Dean wasn't at all shocked by the verbal blow. He would've used it if he were Sam too. "I did that because it was my job. It's always been my job to protect you. There's no one else in this world I would've done that for. So, no, it's not the same."

"Really? You wouldn't do it to save the world? I don't believe you," Sam said. He knew his brother well. He knew damn well that Dean would sacrifice for the world if he had to.

"Alright, maybe I would if I absolutely had to, but it's still different," Dean said.

"Why? Because it's me?" Sam asked annoyed.

"Yeah, that definitely makes it different," Dean said. He knew that statement made him a hypocrite, but he didn't care. There were things he could do that Sam couldn't. That was just how it was. "But that's not the only thing that makes it different. What really makes it different is that I know you don't care about your own life. Tell me that you never once thought that you didn't deserve to live, that you weren't meant to. Tell me that never entered your brain while you were planning to leave us. If you can tell me that, I swear to your grandfather I'll never bring this up again."

Sam looked away, unable to respond.

"Yeah, I figured. That's what makes it different. You use the world as an excuse, and I'm sure a part of it's even true, but it's not the main reason. You did this because you don't think your life matters. And it makes sense. That's what you were taught. It's what we were both taught, and I'm sure being told that members of your family consider you to be an abomination doesn't help. It's just proof, right? But it's not right. Sammy, your life matters. I can't lose you. Gabriel can't either. Don't leave us," Dean begged.

Sam wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to tell Dean his assessment was wrong, but it wasn't. Like always, Dean got him to a tee. He did feel like he shouldn't exist. He kind of felt like that even before the half-angel thing came into it. He'd always felt like he wasn't good enough for those around him, especially John. The man had made a point of letting him know how much he disappointed him, and the last few years, Sam kind of felt like the man was right. But that had nothing to do with what he had done a few days ago, right?

Dean sighed, stood up and headed for the door. "I'm tired. I'm gonna go to bed."

"Dean, I'm sorry," Sam said, though it wasn't totally true. Like Gabriel had guessed, he was sorry for the pain he caused, but not his actions. He still felt they were right.

"No, Sammy, you're not. You'd still do it again because you don't care about your life. I'm gonna find a way to change that, I swear," Dean promised before leaving the room.

Sam sat back down on the bed and looked down at his hands. He sat there for a good five minutes thinking about everything Dean had said. It wasn't like he didn't know how he felt, but it was much different hearing someone remind you of it out loud.

Soon, Sam heard footsteps and then felt another presence in the doorway. He didn't have to look up to know it was Gabriel this time. "Leave me alone, please."

"I'm not here to make you talk. I can see your talked out. I brought you something to eat," Gabriel said.

Sam had forgotten about his hunger, but at the mention of food, his empty stomach reminded him. He looked up to see Gabriel holding a plate with a sandwich on it.

Gabriel walked over and handed him the plate

Sam took the plate. "Thanks."

"Your welcome. How are you doing physically. How's the fatigue?" Gabriel asked.

"Better. I could still sleep though," Sam said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Then you need to. You need to fully recharge your Grace," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and continued to eat. Once he was finished, he put the plate down and looked down. "I...I don't want to die. I swear."

"I am glad to hear that. But we still have some problems," Gabriel said. He was glad Sam didn't wish for death, but the fact that he was willing to go to it anyway was still a very big issue.

Sam sighed. "I wanna go back to sleep now."

"Okay," Gabriel said before grabbing his son's now empty plate. "Goodnight, kid."

"Night," Sam replied before laying back down.

Gabriel quickly left the room, shutting off the light on his way out.


	52. Chapter 52

Michael and Raphael were in Michael's office, once again trying to brainstorm what exactly they were dealing with. They'd accounted for every angel and Michael had personally spoken to each of them to ensure none had inhabited Sam Winchester. That left them completely clueless.

"It must be a fallen angel. We have gone through the ranks and found no one missing. It is the only thing that accounts for that," Michael said.

"But it doesn't account for why his Grace was unidentifiable. Nothing accounts for that. And why would Sam Winchester even agree to host an angel. He and his brother have defied all attempts to get him to submit to Lucifer," Raphael said.

"Lucifer must have broken him. It isn't farfetched. He is susceptible to evil," Michael said.

"So you think Lucifer got to an angel and had him possess Sam? For what purpose?" Raphael asked.

"To infiltrate us perhaps, to catch me off guard and find a weakness of mine to exploit," Michael said.

"That's ridiculous. Lucifer doesn't need some fallen angel he's recruited for that. He already knows all your strengths and weaknesses. And there are other flaws in your theory too. Why would any angel need to be brought to Heaven. He should've been able to fly straight to you. And if it was the plan for him to come to you, why was he derailed?" Raphael questioned.

MIchael huffed in frustration and anger. "I don't know! We need to find out what is going on! I need to know what Lucifer and Gabriel are planning!"

"I have been thinking on a way to gain that information. There are only two people who can give us those answers, besides Gabriel and Lucifer, of course. The Winchesters," Raphael said.

Michael gave him an irritated look. "The Winchesters are unreachable! That is what started this whole thing!"

"Not completely. We can't physically get to them, but that doesn't mean we can't talk to them. We can enter their dreams," Raphael said. They wouldn't be able to enter Sam's if he was still possessed since angels don't sleep, but they could certainly enter Dean's.

"I've tried that. Their dreams are protected. Apparently Lucifer and Gabriel anticipated the possibility. Perhaps we can interrogated one of Lucifer's demons," Michael suggested.

"Demons are unreliable, besides, Lucifer isn't stupid. He wouldn't trust sensitive information to demons. That is likely why he recruited Gabriel. Michael, you are more than capable of breaking your way through any protection on their dreams, especially if it is Gabriel who put it up," Raphael said.

"Yes, but he'd detect it."

"So?" Raphael asked. Michael shouldn't care if he is detected. He was stronger than Gabriel and Lucifer, though only marginally so with Lucifer. He supposed if they were both together they could be a threat, but it was unlikely that they were. Gabriel was playing babysitter for Lucifer and he was no threat, not to Michael or him.

"So it becomes redundant if I'm interrupted before I can get the information. Would the Winchesters really tell me anything if we could get through. They have been defying us since this started as you pointed out," Michael said.

"That's true, but now they are being held prisoner by two other archangels. You could persuade at least one of them to confide in you with a promise of a rescue," Raphael said.

MIchael nodded thoughtfully after a minute. "You might be right, but again, we can't get in without alerting Gabriel."

"Then we make him choose. We attack both their dreams. I go in first and force him to stop me and while I do that, you get the information you need," Raphael said. It would work as long as Sam Winchester wasn't possessed anymore, and since Michael had admitted to trying to access a dream he was having, Raphael assumed he wasn't.

"That is a good plan. Alright, you try to break your way into Dean's dream. I'll wait a few minutes and then go speak to Sam," Michael said.

Raphael raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I would've thought you'd want to do it the other way around. Dean Winchester is your vessel. As such, he'd be almost exactly like you. Surely you can persuade yourself. Why waste your time with the demon blood abomination?

"Because Sam is the one who is possessed. It was his vessel that was supposed to come to me. He agreed to that. I need to know why. Perhaps I'm right and it was to aid Lucifer or it was some other reason. Either way, Sam has the information I need and he may be more willing to share," Michael said.

"Fine. I personally just hoped not to deal with your irritating vessel again, but alright," Raphael said.

"If you can get information out of Dean, please do. It doesn't hurt to try that end too. But either way, stall Gabriel as long as possible," Michael instructed.

"Hmm," was Raphael's only response before heading out of the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean was trapped in a horrifying dream, just like every other dream lately. This one started off with him hunting with his brother, then all of a sudden after taking out a vampire nest, Sam spontaneously said something about needing to save the world and shot himself in the head. Now Dean was holding his dead brother in his arms, the same way he did after he was killed in Yellow-eyes' game.

Suddenly a cold voice came from behind Dean. "Get up, Mud monkey. You're dreaming."

Dean turned around saw the angel he and Cas had trapped months ago. Raphael. There was an archangel in his freaking dream. That was just creepy, much creepier than when it was Sam for some reason.

Sam's body soon disappeared from Dean's arms and he stood up and turned to face the archangel. "Ralph, right?" he asked, deliberately messing up the angel's name.

Raphael ignored the remark on his name. "Why would you dream of your brother killing himself? Even if he did something so foolish, we'd just bring him back."

"What do you want?" Dean asked.

"To know where you are. To know why my brothers have taken you and yours hostage," Raphael said.

"Screw you," Dean said without missing a beat.

Raphael chuckled mockingly. "I would've thought you'd want our help. You are simply the hostage of an archangel. Do you enjoy that? Perhaps so. We know a lot about you, Winchester. Your father used to control every aspect of your life. Perhaps you're too weak to think on your own. Maybe Gabriel taking you as a pet was welcome to you."

Dean really wanted lay the floor with this asshole, but he knew he couldn't win against the archangel. Besides, he wasn't going to rise to the bait. That was what the dick wanted. Instead, he decided to bait himself. "Aw, it seems your a little flustered. Tell me, how are you guys handling it up there, knowing Baby Brother one upped you? I guess it wouldn't be the first time, would it. First Cas pulled a fast one on you, and you couldn't even take pride in killing because Daddy brought him back. Then Gabriel pulls one hell of a punch and hides. You don't know why or what the next move is. For once, you're blind. Someone else is pulling the strings. How's that feel?"

"Watch yourself," Raphael growled.

"Or what? You can't kill me. You can't even find me. And I won't be helping you with that. I'm good where I am," Dean said. He actually was. There were times he wished he was back on the road hunting, and he didn't exactly like being cooped up, but he didn't see Gabriel's as a prison anymore and he was beginning to get used to handing over leadership to someone else and relax. There were times when he found that hard, but there were other times when it actually felt good not to have it all on him.

"You're good being Lucifer and Gabriel's bitch," Raphael asked. That was close to the same phrasing Castiel had used on him when they last met and he found it appropriate now.

"As opposed to being yours," a third voice said.

They both turned to see Gabriel leaned against the dream version of the impala.

"Great, now it gets more creepy," Dean grumbled. Now he had two angels in his head instead of one. He didn't even care that it was Gabriel who came now. It just wasn't right.

"Gabriel," Raphael greeted coolly.

"Bro. I'm fairly certain you didn't have an invitation," Gabriel said

"Neither did you," Raphael commented.

"Consider me the bouncer," Gabriel retorted as he stood up straight and walked towards his brother. "Leave on your own before I bounce you."

Raphael chuckled. "Don't embarrass yourself, Brother. You couldn't force me to do anything. You're a pathetic little weakling who follows Lucifer around wherever he goes."

Gabriel laughed. "This coming from Mikey's little lapdog. You're here for him, right? You must be. You wouldn't make a move without him and Mike can't do his own dirty work."

"Alright, this sibling crap is great, but you assholes need to get the hell out of my head," Dean said, a little irritated at having his subconscious invaded.

Raphael went on as if Dean never spoke. "What is it you're after here, Gabriel? Why kidnap the Winchesters? As Lucifer promised you that the fighting will stop and we'll all be a happy family again? You're pathetic, Gabriel. The best thing you ever did was leave. You've never had it in you to be an archangel, though I can't understand why you'd lower yourself to the hairless apes either."

Gabriel sighed dramatically. "I'm getting bored, Raphael. Aside from the 'the best thing you ever did was leave' bit, you've used the same insults for about a billion years now. You should learn some new material. Maybe I'll buy you an insult book for Christmas. In the meantime, time for you to go. Your pointless little trip is over."

Gabriel's last words got to Dean. This did seem pretty pointless. All Raphael did was ask a few questions he didn't get the answers too and throw insults at Gabriel. He didn't even seem to care that he wasn't getting answers to his questions. It was like he no longer cared about that. Or maybe he never cared about it. Maybe it wasn't about getting answers to his questions. "Gabriel, he's stalling."

"What?" Gabriel asked confused.

"He's trying to keep you busy for Michael," Dean said alarmed.

Gabriel's eyes widened as he realized what Dean meant. Raphael going after Dean was a distraction. Michael had gone into Sam's dream, and given how messed up Sam was right now, he might get somewhere with him. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to sense his Grace in Sam's dreams, but Sam might tell all to try to barter some kind of deal with Michael.

"Well, good to see you again, Brother," Raphael said smugly before disappearing.

"Go. Wake me up when you get back," Dean told Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded and immediately left.


	53. Chapter 53

Sam was in the middle of a of a nightmare himself. He was standing outside in the middle of massive debris staring at the bodies of everyone he loved and a destroyed world. He looked on devastated at the bodies of his father, brother, Bobby, Cas, and even Lucifer. He was the only one left, the world having been left in ruins because of him and what he was.

"Quite the destruction," a voice from behind Sam said.

Sam turned to see a man with dirty blond hair and hazel eyes. He looked to be in about his mid to late twenties. But Sam he was much older. He knew who this was just like he knew every other angel he came across lately. This was Michael. However, Sam also knew he shouldn't let on that he knew that. He didn't think Michael could sense his Grace. He didn't look at all surprised and he should if he knew. Somehow the fact that they were in a dream must make his Grace undetectable. It was either that or he'd somehow managed to hide it without trying or knowing how, which was unlikely. "Who are you

"I am Michael. I hope you'll forgive the intrusion into your dream, but it was necessary," Michael said.

Sam snorted. He doubted Michael gave a damn about the intrusion. It was just something he felt he had to say to be polite. He didn't really care disrupting humans, let alone the one tainted with demon blood. "What do you want?"

"To talk," Michael said as he stepped forward.

"Why talk to me? Shouldn't you bug Dean?" Sam asked with slight nervousness in his voice.

Michael chuckled. "My brother, Raphael, wondered the same thing. It isn't Dean that appeared before an angel while possessed by one himself, asking to speak to me. Now, he's clearly left you, but you must know something of why he was there in the first place. What made you agree to house an angel that wasn't Lucifer? Who was the angel?"

Sam was highly tempted to answer the archangel's questions honestly. He wanted to prevent his nightmare from coming true. But he didn't want to hurt Gabriel and Dean again, plus, it wouldn't end much differently than what God had shown him would happen. Gabriel would go after Michael if he killed him and it would end the same. So for now at least, he decided he shouldn't answer.

"Sam, you must answer me," Michael said almost scoldingly when Sam remained silent.

"No, I actually don't have to. Why should I help you? Your interests lie in ending the world," Sam said.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "And you believe Lucifer and Gabriel's don't?"

Sam looked away. He couldn't really refute that. Gabriel and Lucifer didn't care about ending the world, but at least they had a better reason. Well, Gabriel did anyway. Lucifer didn't care either way. He'd wanted humanity gone before, but Gabriel was doing it to protect Sam. It was a much better reason than Michael simply trying to please his father.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but this is going to happen no matter what. It is how it is supposed to be. Nothing can stop it. I will take Dean and Lucifer will take you and then we will fight," Michael said in a confident voice.

"No, you won't. Even if you could get Dean to say yes, and no part of me believes that, Lucifer won't be taking me," Sam said.

"He will," Michael said firmly.

"If you're so sure of that, why are you here? Why do you need to know anything that's been going on with us if you believe it's inevitable to end your way?" Sam asked. Michael wasn't as sure as he sounded. He was worried that things had changed, and he was right to because they had. The world unfortunately might end, but not the way he envisioned it to.

"Because my brothers are flouting Father's will and that cannot be tolerated," Michael said.

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"What?" Michael asked confused.

"How do you know what God's will is? You haven't seen him for thousands of years. How do you know what his will is now?" Sam asked.

Michael looked back at him flabbergasted, like it was unfathomable to him that God's will could ever change. "You do not understand what you say. He doesn't change his mind."

"You're wrong. I happen to know that his will does change. I happen to know because he told me," Sam said. God had said he wouldn't interfere, that he wanted Michael to make his own decision, but that didn't mean Sam couldn't use his words to get through to Michael.

Michael's demeanor changed completely. "How dare you?! You know nothing of my father! You dare claim he appeared before you?! An insignificant human, and one damaged by a demon at that?!"

"It's true. He summoned me to him. He told me himself he doesn't agree with you, but he wants you to decide for yourself what's right. The problem with that is you're just a mindless soldier, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"You are lying!" Michael screeched before preparing to attack.

Sam felt something warm and powerful wrap around just as the archangel stepped closer. The next thing he knew, Michael was thrown feet away from him, landing on the ground onto of the debris Sam's mind had created.

Michael looked up at Sam in shock. No human could do something like that. Plus, Michael now felt the brilliant Grace wrapped protectively around Sam's body. But Sam wasn't possessed. That Michael knew. For one, angels didn't sleep and this was without a doubt Sam Winchester's subconscious. And the Grace was his. There was never any angel possessing him. For some reason the angel that got to him couldn't tell that, but Michael could. Sam Winchester was part angel, and since he was also still human, there was only one being he could be.

Just then, Gabriel appeared, standing in the middle of Sam and Michael. He immediately felt Sam's Grace and swore.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. He tried to attack me and it was like my Grace came alive," Sam tried to explain.

"Yeah, that happens with fledglings," Gabriel said quietly. He'd seen it happen with other young angels. He didn't know it could with Sam though, and he certainly didn't think it could while he was sleeping, since Sam wasn't physically there.

Michael slowly got up and took a step forward.

Gabriel crouched down ready to attack. "Don't even think about it! I will kill you!"

"What have you done?!" Michael asked in disbelief. If he didn't know it by the fact that Sam's Grace carried just a small piece of Gabriel with it, he'd know it by how protective Gabriel was. Sam was Gabriel's. His brother had created an abomination.

"Go to hell," Gabriel said before making a pushing gesture with his hand, pushing Michael out. Normally it wouldn't be so easy to do that with Michael, but the older archangel was too shocked to think clearly, so Gabriel caught him off guard.

"Gabriel, I'm sorry," Sam said again.

"It's not your fault. Your Grace reached out to protect you, and I'm glad. He was going to find out anyway. I"m gonna go wake you up and then we'll all talk," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and watched his father leave.


	54. Chapter 54

Sam jumped up to a sitting position when he woke up. Both Gabriel and Dean were by his side.

"You alright, Dude?" Dean asked. He'd woken up on his own not long after Gabriel and Raphael left his dream. He'd immediately gone to his brother's room to try to get him up, but it didn't work. Not that he really expected it to. An archangel was in Sam's dream. He had to be kicked out before Sam would get up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sam said before pulling the blankets off and standing up.

"That dick didn't do anything to you?" Dean asked as he looked his brother up and down.

"No, I'm fine. Well, for now. MIchael knows, so he's gonna come after me," Sam said.

"He knows? You told him?!" Dean asked with some anger in his voice.

Sam wished he could be outraged that Dean would think he'd tell MIchael, but Dean had every reason to given what had recently happened. Besides, Sam had considered telling Michael. "No, I didn't tell him. He felt my Grace."

"Alright, come on, living room. I'm gonna call Lucifer and Castiel. They need to be a part of this conversation too," Gabriel said, quickly leading the way out of the room

"Damn. If Gabriel hadn't had to come help me first…"

"What are you talking about?" Sam interrupted as they started walking out of the room.

"You're not the only one to get a dream invasion. That dick, Raphael, showed up in mine. He did it so Gabriel would come help me while Michael was going after you," Dean explained.

"Well, are you okay?" Sam asked, stopping instantly. He'd had angel powers to protect him. Dean didn't have that.

"Yeah. Like I said, he didn't want anything from me. I was just the decoy," Dean said. The two of them then resumed walking to the living room.

Gabriel had just finished his first call when Lucifer appeared.

"What's up?" Lucifer asked.

"In a minute," Gabriel said as he dialed again and put the phone to his ear. "Hey, get to the house. We have a problem."

Castiel appeared before Gabriel even finished hanging up the phone. "I am here."

"Is it bad that I'm starting to get used to this?" Dean asked.

"What's going on?" Lucifer asked again.

"Raphael and Michael attacked their dreams," Gabriel growled.

Lucifer swore under his breath. "You were protecting their dreams, weren't you?"

"Yes, but they can break through that. I felt Raphael get through to Dean and I went to kick him out," Gabriel said.

"And then Michael used the opportunity to get to Sam," Lucifer realized. It was a good plan. He would've done the same if he was them.

"Yeah, and now we're screwed," Dean said before heading to the couch and sitting down.

"Does Michael know?" Castiel asked.

"Oh, yeah," Gabriel said.

"He tried to attack me and my Grace protected me. I don't even know how. I didn't consciously do it. I didn't even realize what was happening until it did," Sam said.

"It acted like a protective shield?" Lucifer asked. He continued when he received Sam's nod. "That often happens with fledglings who are still learning to use their powers and Grace. They can't protect themselves, so their Grace almost acts as a safety net to protect them," Lucifer explained.

"It is remarkable that it happened while you were sleeping though, as your body wasn't present," Castiel said.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't exactly call it abnormal. It's never been seen, but that's because angels don't sleep," Gabriel said.

"I could feel it as it happened. It was weird," Sam said.

"What did it feel like?" Dean asked curiously.

"It felt good. It felt really warm and powerful. I felt safe. The best way I can describe it is a parent wrapping their arms around you to keep you safe, except this felt much more powerful," Sam explained.

"Yeah, that sounds right. What did it do to Michael?" Lucifer asked.

"Just threw him away from me. He landed several feet away, completely shocked.

Lucifer chuckled. "I would've loved to see that."

"Why did he attack you?" Gabriel asked sam. Michael even attempting to hurt Sam pissed him off. If it weren't for the fact that he wanted his brother away from Sam, he would've attacked him for it on the spot.

"I told him about seeing God. I thought maybe I could get him to see reason. I hoped I could convince him that he wasn't actually being a good son. That his father didn't want this," Sam explained.

"And he didn't believe you," Gabriel finished for him.

Sam shook his head. He found it ridiculous that God would lower himself to speaking with a human, especially one tainted with demon blood."

"He's an idiot. Humans are the old man's favorite creation for some sickening reason. As his 'good son', Michael should know that," Lucifer said.

"What know?" Dean asked.

"What we planned. I'm not letting him lay a hand on my son," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam crossed the room over to the window. He put his palm against the wall and leaned against it while looking out the window.

"Sam, I know you're not happy, but I don't have a choice. I will not let him hurt you. I won't watch you die," Gabriel said firmly.

"But it's okay if I watch you die," Sam said said bitterly. Then he stood up straight and turned around. "You were right when you said saving the world wasn't the only reason I tried to go to Michael. You're even right that it might have to do with unresolved childhood issues. There's another reason though. I don't want to see the people I care about die in front of me!"

"Son…" Gabriel started. There wasn't much he could say though. He couldn't promise that wouldn't happen. He couldn't even say that the odds were in their favor that it wouldn't.

"All of you matter to me. Yeah, Lucifer, even you, for some reason. I don't want to see you die," Sam said.

Dean got up and approached his brother. "Sammy, you don't know that will happen."

"Don't I. Michael is said to be the strongest angel in existence, and even if somehow they beat him, destroying the world and half of Heaven, whoever is left will wage war. There's no getting around it," Sam said before turning back to Gabriel. "Which also means this whole thing is pointless. You can't save me."

"I will do so or die trying," Gabriel vowed.

"But I don't want that! Why can't you understand that? You did it, okay?! You wanted me to see you as my father. Well, I do, okay? You're my father. I don't want you to die!" Sam explained with a shudder.

Gabriel's heart soared. That was the first time Sam referred to him out loud as his father. He'd sort of admitted he cared for him, but he'd never called him his father. Gabriel just wished he could thoroughly enjoy it right now, but unfortunately, they had big problems. I...I do understand, Sam. I know it would hurt you if any of us died. But like you said, I am your father. That means it's my job to protect you no matter what."

"So it's okay for you to risk your life for me, but I can't do the same?" Sam asked.

Gabriel sighed. "Yes, that's right. I know to you that's hypocritical because you don't have kids, but it's a parent's job to risk their life for their kids. Kids should never be put in the position to protect their parents."

"Sam, this isn't what we want. Despite our history, I don't want Michael dead. If there was another way, we'd use it," Lucifer swore to him.

"There is. Your dad just won't get off his ass to do it," Dean grumbled.

"Dean, you cannot speak of him that way," Castiel said.

"Why not? He's right. Dad could end all of this and he won't," Gabriel said bitterly. He'd just said it himself. Parents were supposed to protect their kids, yet his father wasn't lifting a finger to do so. He should be doing something, especially considering it was all his doing.

"Hmm. The old man sure picked a perfect time to give his kids free will," Lucifer said.

"Well, I kind of get that he thinks his kid should make his own choices, but you're right, he picked a horrible time," Sam said.

"If he wanted Michael to learn to think for himself, he should've taught him that from the beginning. Michael is too black and white, too simple minded. He's incapable of changing unless he's ordered to," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, and putting someone like that in charge is beyond stupid," Lucifer said.

"Isn't there a way to take him out of power?" Sam asked.

"Sam, that would be impossible. Michael is the strongest angel ever created," Castiel said.

"Actually, Sam's idea holds merit," Lucifer said. The wheels were working in his head. It was the perfect solution, one they should've thought about. He supposed he didn't because the old man had placed Michael where he was and could put him right back there if he wanted, that and Lucifer hadn't been in a position to pull. But Sam's conversation told Lucifer that he didn't exactly back Michael anymore and might even be willing to give him another shot.

"And how would we pull that off?" Gabriel asked, very skeptical.

"Let me test the waters and I'll get back to you," Lucifer said before disappearing.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Michael stormed into Raphael's office. He was furious. Once he got over the shock of what he'd just witnessed and it hit him, he was outraged. Gabriel completely spat on their father. He had done worse than Lucifer. He created a nephilim, an abomination. It was disgusting. Gabriel had to pay for it.

"I take it didn't go so well," Raphael said.

"It is complete blasphemy!" Michael exclaimed.

Raphael sighed boredly. He wasn't at all concerned by his brother's choice of words. Michael considered anything that didn't go his way blasphemy. "So I guess you didn't find out anything."

"No, I did. I was wrong. I thought Gabriel was working for Lucifer. I thought he tricked our brother into being on his side. This is not the case. Lucifer works for Gabriel," Michael told him.

"What? That is ridiculous. Gabriel would never make a move on his own and Lucifer is no follower," Raphael said. Clearly this was all driving Michael insane because he wasn't making any sense. The idea that Gabriel of all people could think to make a move on them himself was preposterous.

"You cannot fathom what he has done, brother. It is worse than Lucifer. He has created an abomination!" Michael yelled.

"You mean like Sam Winchester?" Raphael asked. Although, that wouldn't be worse than Lucifer. It would be exactly like Lucifer.

"I mean Sam Winchester! Gabriel created him. He is his father!" Michael spat.

Now that shocked Raphael, so much so that his mouth dropped open in shock. What Michael was saying was that their brother had created a nephilim, one of the biggest things prohibited in Heaven. It just seemed impossible. Now Gabriel was far from Michael when it came to obeying Father's will, but he'd never flout it like this. Lucifer, yes. Well, actually no, because he wouldn't lower himself to lying with mud monkeys, but the point was that this was not something expected from Gabriel. "Y...you have to be wrong. He wouldn't do this."

"I felt his Grace! It wrapped around him, as it does when fledglings feel threatened. Sam Winchester was never possessed. It was always him, his Grace!" Michael fumed as he took a seat in the chair in front of his brother's desk.

Raphael shook his head. "It's impossible! An angel would've noticed before. Zachariah, Yuriel, and Castiel were all around him before the apocalypse, and Castiel didn't defect until the end. He and the others would've told us. Unless you're saying the boy hid it, in which case he would've done so from you."

"It must be the demon blood. It had to have quashed it or something," Michael speculated.

"Well, how did you never know? You should've at least been alerted that he wasn't a Winchester. How did that get by you?" Raphael asked.

"I don't know! I had Jedidiah watching. He… That's why Gabriel wiped his memory. He knew," Michael realized.

"That just happened recently though, likely when Zachariah was killed. If Jedidiah knew, he kept it to himself," Raphael said. This also explained why Zachariah was killed. It was revenge. On their orders, Zachariah had tortured Sam and Dean to get Dean to cooperate. Gabriel had taken his revenge.

"He will pay! So will Gabriel, and the abomination must be destroyed!" Michael fumed.

"Hold on, Michael. Let's not get drastic just yet. How powerful was he?" Raphael asked.

"I don't know. He knocked me a few feet away, but that's all I saw," Michael said.

"Still, that alone is amazing," Raphael said. His brain was working overtime. Sam Winchester was the son of an archangel. If he was powerful enough, he could end up being the perfect weapon.

"What?! He is an abomination! He must be destroyed!"

"He was that anyway thanks to the demons. You were willing to let him live then," Raphael pointed out.

"Because it was written like that! It was supposed to happen. He was Lucifer's vessel. But he's not now and that means he serves no purpose," Michael said.

"No as a stupid little human he had no purpose. He does now. He's not just any old nephilim, Michael. He's the son of an archangel, the highest class of angel there is. Can you imagine how powerful that might make him? What we could do with that kind of power?" Raphael asked.

"It doesn't matter. Father's will is clear," Michael said firmly.

Raphael was going to continue to argue, but they both heard chatter from outside the door. Both of them got up headed for the door.

Michael was the first one to the door, finding a group of angels seeming both confused and scared. "What is going on?"

"H...he just waltzed through like he never left," one of them said before pointing the room at the end of the hall. A room that had been locked up tight for thousands of years. Lucifer's office.

Michael walked towards the office with Raphael on his tall. He walked in to see Lucifer at his desk with his feet propped up on the desk.

Lucifer smirked as his older and younger brother entered his office, both with shocked expressions on their faces. "Hello, Brothers. Come to welcome me home?"


	55. Chapter 55

Lucifer watched his older brothers with humor he didn't even try to hide from them. Yes, he was taking a lot of pleasure from this, and this night only prove to be more entertaining as it went on. Michael and Raphael weren't going to know what hit them by the time he was finished.

Lucifer really should've come up with this plan a while ago, after Sam told him about his conversation with his father. That should've told him that it was at least possible for him to return to Heaven. His father could keep him out or expel him again even if he wasn't there physically to do it, which was why Lucifer hadn't tried right after he was released. He told himself that his father wouldn't care enough, but he wasn't willing to test the theory. But then the old man had spoken to Sam and expressed hope in Lucifer again. That made Lucifer think he might be allowed back in, and that was the best way to help Sam and Gabriel. He only wished it occurred to him before tonight when Sam suggested removing Michael from power. Doing so would be difficult, but it wasn't impossible, and the first step was Lucifer returning to his rightful place, and even if he couldn't remove Michael, he could keep an eye on him here.

"Well, aren't either of you going to say anything? Welcome me home," Lucifer urged with a smug look on his face.

Michael stood completely floored as his brother sat at his desk as though he'd just come back from a vacation. How dare he just stroll right in like this? How did he even manage it. Surely something like this would've gained their father's attention and he would've come back to stop it. "You cannot be here!"

The smirk on Lucifer's face didn't move. "But I am. And you know, it's so good to be back. By the way, thanks for leaving everything in here as is. Although, I'm considering some redecorating. I mean, everyone should change their office around every billion or so years. I've never been so great with change, but I've been adapting lately and I find that it's not so bad. Maybe I'll move my desk to one of the side walls. What do you guys think?"

"What do you want?" Raphael asked.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked. There is a little something I need from you guys. I know there's a lot to do around here, but if you guys can just give me a day or two to get acclimated to things again, that would be great. Then I'll get right back into the swing of things, lighten your load," Lucifer said. Once again, he was enjoying every second of this.

"Are you serious?" Raphael asked in disbelief.

"Absolutely. Brother, I realize I've been gone for a long time, although, I think we can blame Mikey a bit for that. But I promise, I'm ready to get back to it. Like I said, just give me a day or two," Lucifer said.

Michael angrily slammed his hands against the desk and glared at his brother. "You are not welcome here!"

Lucifer didn't move an inch. He sat leaned back in his chair looking quite relaxed with his feet still rested on top of his desk. "That's not really your decision, is it? Yes, you play leader, but we both know who's really in charge, and he doesn't seem to mind me being here. He hasn't cast me out. He hasn't come out from underneath his rock to unleash his wrath on me."

"He obviously wants me to do it, and I will. I will not allow you to corrupt Heaven Lucifer," Michael said with a glare. It confused him that his father was allowing this with no response, but he quickly decided that his father wanted him to fix this.

Lucifer laughed mockingly. "Let's assume you're right. What can you do, Michael? Yes, you've cast me out of Heaven before, but you had Father backing you. It won't be so easy without him. So the only other option you'd have is to kill me. Now, we'll say for a second that it'll be easy. That I stand no chance against. A very flawed statement, but we'll pretend for the moment. You won't do it, because that's not the plan. In your eyes, I'm supposed to die on Earth. You in Dean Winchester's body and me in his brother's. You won't accept any other way, even if at this point it's not even possible. Hell, even if I am refusing to play the game.

Michael stood up and stepped back, unsure how to respond. Lucifer was right, it had to end that way. He wasn't sure how it would work now that Sam Winchester was taken out of the equation, but it must. That was how it was written. That was his father's will. It had to be followed.

"Good, it's all settled. I'm staying and you can't do anything about it. Raphael, be a deal and leave the room. Mikey and I need to talk privately. Oh, and shut the door behind you please," Lucifer said.

"Do it," Michael told his younger brother.

Raphael seemed annoyed at being dismissed, but he did as he was told and left, shutting the door behind him.

"What do you want, Lucifer? Do you somehow think coming here will save Gabriel's abomination?" Michael asked.

For the first time since his arrival, Lucifer's smirk vanished and his features darkened. He slowly got to his feet, walked around his desk, and invaded his older brother's personal space. "Michael, if you ever use that word to describe my nephew again, I will personally rearrange your face for you.

MIchael sneered in response. "I am not afraid of you, Lucifer. I intend to take care of the nephilim and then I will take care of you."

"You lay a hand on Sam and Gabriel will kill you, and I will be right by his side. Believe it or not, Michael, I'm here to save your life. I know how it will go down. You will try to attack Sam and that will be your declaration of war. Gabriel will act accordingly to protect his son. And I know what you're thinking. You think you could beat him easily, even with me by his side because you have Raphael and an army of lesser angels. But I've seen what motivation can do for someone. While I know it's unlikely we'd survive, I also believe we'll take you with us, plus Earth and Heaven because we both know a fight between the four of us won't end without a lot of destruction."

"I'll do what I must to follow Father's will," Michael vowed. He knew that Lucifer was right, at least about the destruction part, but it didn't matter. Following his father's will was the most important thing.

Lucifer sneered. "You're nothing but a simple-minded minion, Michael. You've never been able to do anything on your own. Father always had to be there to hold your hand. That's why you don't belong in the role you've taken. You can't lead and follow. It's just not possible. So I'm giving you the chance to step down. Admit defeat. It's a hard thing to do, but in some cases, it's all you can do."

Michael looked at his younger brother like he'd completely lost his mind. "You really think I'd ever give control of Heaven to you?"

"No, I don't, but you can't say that I didn't make an effort to end this peacefully. And after what I'm about to say, you won't be able to claim I wasn't upfront with you either. If you don't walk away, I'm going to have to remove you. You're too much of a danger in your current position. I can't and won't allow it. I won't let you damage our siblings any further and I won't let you hurt Sam. So be prepared, brother. Your days as leader are numbered," Lucifer warned.

"You're crazy," Michael sneered before heading for the door.

Lucifer went and sat back down at his desk, smiling at himself. He knew it was far from over. This was one step in making things safer for Gabriel and Sam, maybe even a step in allowing them to come home someday. It would take a long time to make it happen, to get rid of Michael. He would have to regain the trust of the rest of his siblings, which would take a long time, but if he could, he could oust Michael. And if Michael tried to harm Sam between now and then, well, killing him was still an option. He honestly didn't want to do it, but Sam was innocent. He would do what he could to protect him from his brother.


	56. Chapter 56

The next day, Gabriel, Castiel, Dean, and Sam were sitting at the table for breakfast. Both Sam and Dean looked almost dead, having not gotten back to sleep the night before.

"Okay, you two really need to get some sleep," Gabriel said.

"Screw that. I'm not letting one of those dicks into my head again," Dean said.

"It's unlikely they'll try again. They found out what they wanted to, and I will make sure to pay extra attention while protecting your dreams," Gabriel promised.

"The very memory of that asshole being in my dream is creepy. I'm not even sure I could sleep after that," Dean said.

"Was it that creepy when it was me?" Sam asked.

"Well, it wasn't exactly comforting, but it was you, so it was different," Dean said.

"I'm not sure I could even sleep until we figure out what's going on. Where the hell did Lucifer go?" Sam asked.

Gabriel wished he had the answer to that question. Lucifer just disappeared on them with very little explanation and hadn't been back since. Gabriel was concerned for his brother, and a bit annoyed at him for not telling them what the hell he was up to.

"He mentioned testing waters. I don't understand what going in the water has to do with the problem we have," Castiel said confused.

Gabriel sighed. "It's a figure of speech, bro. Damn when I pick up that insult book for Raphael, I really need to get you one on human sayings."

Suddenly, Lucifer appeared out of nowhere. "Morning."

All of them turned to him. "Where the hell have you been?"

Lucifer walked over to his brother and plucked a piece of bacon from his plate. He found he'd taken a liking to human food, despite the fact that it came from humans.

"You took off without any explanation," Sam said.

"I wouldn't say without any explanation. I told you I was looking into your idea," Lucifer said before putting the bacon slice into his mouth.

"The idea of removing Michael as leader? It's impossible," Castiel said.

"No, it's not. It will be very hard, but it's possible. I am going to end this without anyone having to die," Lucifer said. Well, okay, that was far from a guarantee, but he was determined to do his best. He believed he could make it happen.

"Really?" Sam asked hopefully. That was all he wanted. He wanted this to end peacefully. He wanted to protect his family and the rest of the world. He didn't want anyone dying for or because of him.

"Don't get your hopes up. Lucifer's always been ambitious," Gabriel said.

"And you've always been a tad cynical, brother. Step one is already a success," Lucifer said with a smile.

"What's step one?" Dean asked.

"Hold that thought," Lucifer said before walking around to Castiel. "Stand up, brother."

Castiel looked at Lucifer hesitantly and very distrustfully, but he did as he asked.

Lucifer placed his hand on his shoulder and watched as the younger angel was engulfed in a white light.

Dean put his hand in front of his face to dim the light. It was incredibly bright, though when he looked next to him at Sam, he could see his brother wasn't having a problem with it. It must not affect him do to the whole nephilim thing.

Castiel gasped when Lucifer finally let go of his shoulder. "Why?"

"What'd you do to him?" Dean demanded to know. Cas didn't look hurt, but Lucifer had just caused some light to engulf him and it made Dean suspicious. Gabriel might trust him, but he still just saw him as the Devil.

"He reconnected him to Heaven," Gabriel said in disbelief.

"I did it because you never should've been disconnected in the first place, Castiel," Lucifer said firmly.

"You can just do that. Why the hell didn't either of you do it before?" Dean asked.

"Because we couldn't. Archangels aren't really affected by falling or leaving Heaven. We keep all our powers. Well most of them. There are one or two things we can't do if we're cut off from the host for an extended period of time, like dismissing or reinstating angels," Gabriel explained before looking to his older brother. "You returned to Heaven."

Lucifer grinned. "I didn't think about it until last night, but Dad insinuated to Sam that I might be forgiven, or at least close to it, in which case I might be welcome to return. I decided to test the theory. It turns out I was."

"Michael and Raphael couldn't have been happy," Gabriel said.

"No, but they couldn't do anything about it unless they wanted to try to kill me. They won't do that. Michael won't allow any fight that isn't the final plan. So his hands are really tied," Lucifer said.

"So that's what you meant by step one. I can guess what step two is," Gabriel said.

Castiel, meanwhile, gently tapped Lucifer's arm to gain his attention. "Thank you… brother."

"And the beginning of step two," Gabriel said.

"Gain the trust of the garrisons," Castiel realized.

Lucifer smiled once more. "I won't even have to do much. All I have to do is be better, more compassionate than Michael. It really isn't so hard."

"If you have their trust, Michael won't have anyone to follow him. He'll be forced to step down," Sam said.

"You've always been smart, Sam," Lucifer praised.

"Will I be able to return to Heaven without fear?" Castiel asked.

"Yes. You're under my protection. You'll be safe," Lucifer promised.

"Thank you," Castiel said again. He was starting to see Lucifer in a new light. Before, he was working with him, but it was hesitantly. It was something he only did to protect Sam. Now, he was starting to trust Lucifer. He'd given him his full powers back and was allowing him to go home when he wanted.

Lucifer nodded.

"Could we really end this this easily?" Sam asked.

"Oh, no, it won't be easy. I've got a lot of work to do, but it's possible. I intend to make this better, make it so you and your father can come home," Lucifer said. That was the ultimate goal. He would have his work cut out for him there, even after Michael was taken care of. It wouldn't be easy to his siblings to accept a nephilim, but he intended for it to happen.

"Dude, they are home!" Dean protested. This was not going to happen. This asshole wasn't taking his brother away.

"No, it's not," Lucifer said simply.

"Hey, you can't…" Sam started only to be interrupted by his father.

"Alright, this doesn't happen now," Gabriel cut in. "We are far from it even being safe to leave this house, let alone go to Heaven. Oh, and Lucifer, just a reminder, you don't decide where me and my kid belong."

Sam sighed in relief, satisfied by his father's response.

"I apologize, brother, but I'm merely stating what you know already. Neither of you are meant to be here. Anyway, I should go before Mikey misses me too much. It may be a while before I return," Lucifer said before disappearing.

"I should go too," Castiel said. He was quite eager to return to Heaven. He missed home very much.

"Will they be able to come back? What if Michael follows? Hell, what if he followed Lucifer?" Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head. "Lucifer knows how to avoid a tail. You'll have to take the same precautions, Castiel. Make sure you're not followed when you come."

"I will, brother. I will see you all soon," Castiel said before leaving.

"Alright, I give up. I need sleep," Sam said before getting up and heading for his bedroom.

"Gabriel…

Gabriel interrupted with a groan. "Let's not get into this now, Dean. As I said, we are very far away from the possibility of going to Heaven."

"You can't take him away from me," Dean said firmly. He wouldn't lose his brother. He'd do whatever it took. He'd fight Gabriel if he had to, even if it was futile. Hell, he'd kill himself just to go Heaven himself if it came to that.

"Dean, I don't wanna get into this right now," Gabriel said calmly.

"Why can't you just promise me you won't do it?" Dean asked.

"Because I'm going to do what's in Sam's best interest, no matter who hates it. That includes myself and him," Gabriel said.

"You promised me before you wouldn't take him from me!" Dean said with anger in his voice.

Gabriel sighed. He had promised that, and at the time, he'd thought he could keep it, but that was before he knew there was a possibility of returning to Heaven. Now, he wasn't particularly thrilled with the prospect himself, but Lucifer wasn't exactly wrong. He and Sam weren't human. And if anyone found out what Sam was, there was a good chance he would be persecuted. Gabriel wouldn't allow that. "Look, we're not discussing this any further now. You should go get some rest."

Dean huffed angrily before getting up and leaving the room.


	57. Chapter 57

Castiel stood In Lucifer's office with him. Never did he think this would happen. He was beginning to think he'd never be allowed back home, and certainly didn't think Lucifer would be or that they'd be discussing ways for Lucifer to gain control of Heaven. A few months ago, he wouldn't have even been able to conceive the idea of working with Lucifer in any way.

"I'm going to have to start gaining support right away. This is going to take time, so it's best to start right away," Lucifer said.

"How much time?" Castiel wondered.

"At least a few months," Lucifer said.

Castiel's eyes went wide. Lucifer said that like it was no big deal, but months was too long. "Michael already knows Sam exists. He has to be stopped sooner than that or he'll get to them."

"I can't force this, brother. Gaining the trust of the other angels is the only way this happens peacefully. That fails if I try to rush it," Lucifer explained.

"What about Sam and Gabriel?" Castiel asked.

"They're fine right now. MIchael has no idea how to find them, and I've got him distracted at the moment just by my presence. I'll also be here to keep an eye on him. I'll know if he makes a move. But making this happen as soon as possible is a good idea, which is why it's best to move right away. Now, I know I have some supporters here that were too afraid to step up when I fell," Lucifer said too.

Castiel nodded. He knew that too from Uriel. Uriel had been trying to gain support on Lucifer's behalf and he'd mentioned that there were some he didn't kill for saying no, some who agreed. "You do, but I don't know who they are."

"I do. I can handle them," Lucifer said.

"It's a small fraction though. You'll need much more," Castiel said.

"I want all of them if I can manage it. We need it so that there's no one for Michael to lead, no one that'll listen to him."

"You are correct that it will take time. If you were anyone else, it might be easier, but they rightfully hate you," Castiel said. It took him seconds to realize what he said and he regretted it. Lucifer wasn't just an angel he reluctantly worked with anymore. He had returned as part of the host of Heaven. He was once more recognized as one of the four archangels, and as such, he was Castiel's superior. "I apologize."

"I've still yet to gain your trust," Lucifer said in a impassive tone.

"Things have improved in that regard," Castiel said honestly. No, he didn't trust Lucifer a hundred percent right now, but he did have some trust for him. He trusted at least that Lucifer was devoted to protecting Sam.

Lucifer nodded. "Well, like I said, I don't expect this to happen soon."

"May I ask something?" Castiel asked.

"Go ahead." Lucifer said before walking over to the chair behind his desk and sitting down.

"What happens if this works? What happens if you gain control of Heaven and manage to save Gabriel and Sam? What will you do?" Castiel asked, unable to keep slight distrust and suspicion from his voice.

Lucifer chuckled. "You mean as far as humanity goes. You know my views on the matter. That hasn't and won't change. As far as I'm concerned, humans are a waste, an experiment that failed miserably. But you know what? Fine, let them have Earth. They'll destroy themselves and when I finally see the old man again, I can say 'I told you so'." That hadn't been his original plan, but his priorities had changed since being reunited with his brother and gaining a nephew. He realized that taking care of his family was more important than a bunch of meaningless bugs that would probably be extinct in a couple thousand years anyway.

Castiel nodded reluctantly. He wasn't completely satisfied that Lucifer was telling the truth, but there was no other choice than to take him at his word. "Alright. What now? Can I do anything to help?"

"At the moment, I don't think so. I'm going to give everyone time to get used to my presence here before going forward. Then I'll start talking to people, slowly start shifting their trust from Michael to me," Lucifer explained.

"There's one I suggest you start with. She might be easier to get on your side since she's currently dealing with the consequences of Michael's leadership," Castiel said.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and indicated with his hand for him to go on.

"Anael. She goes by Anna now. She fell awhile ago, cut out her Grace. She retrieved not too long ago and escaped just before she'd have been killed, but she was captured not long before your release," Castiel said with guilt laced in his voice. He hated himself for succumbing to the re-education and turning Anna in.

Lucifer stood up from his desk. "Well, then I think we should go rescue our sister."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel and Lucifer heard the screams as they rushed to what Castiel had dubbed the re-education room. They walked in to find Anna strapped to a bench and two angels torturing her with blades.

Lucifer immediately waved his hand and sent both angels across the room. He immediately stalked towards them.

Castiel, meanwhile went over to Anna and began unstrapping her. "I'm sorry, Anna."

Anna's eyes were focused on Lucifer. "That's…"

"Yes," Castiel answered.

Lucifer raised his hand and both angels were on their feet and pressed against the wall, unable to move. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It...It's true? Y...you've returned?" one of them stuttered in fear.

"Clearly, and this is what I see my first day. Two of my siblings torturing another. It doesn't exactly thrill me. Explain yourselves," Lucifer ordered.

"We answer to Michael?" the other, more brazen, angel said.

Lucifer turned and glared at him. "You answer to all archangels. Last I checked, that included me."

"O...our orders were from Michael, sir. He wanted her punished for abandoning Heaven," the first one said.

"And we will return to them."

Lucifer wanted nothing more than to beat the hell out of this smug idiot, but that certainly wouldn't help him gain the trust of the garrisons. "I don't think so. Your orders have changed. Get lost before I strap you to that bench."

They both left quickly, one practically running.

Castiel had just finished healing Anna when Lucifer walked over.

"Why?" Anna asked Lucifer, having seen the whole exchange and being completely flabbergasted.

"Because what happened in this room is despicable. Even I won't tolerate such an act," Lucifer said.

"How are you even here?" Anna asked. She didn't understand how he was even able to get into Heaven. Surely he would've been stopped and cast back out.

"A question I'm sure I'll be asked over and over. The best answer I have is that the old man clearly wants me back, as we both know he could've stopped it. Michael doesn't seem to be impressing him lately," Lucifer said.

Anna got to her feet and looked at Lucifer suspiciously. "What now?"

"You mean do I expect anything of you? Well, I'd appreciate the chance to earn your trust as I'd like to restore our home to the way it should be, but nothing more," Lucifer said.

"You mean you intend to take over," she said with a glare. She knew what he was doing now. He intended to fight for leadership and then force them all to help him destroy humanity and who knew what else.

"No, Anna, that's not my plan," Lucifer said, referring to her thoughts. "Yes, I plan to take Michael's place, but not for those reasons. I only wish create a better life for you all, where you won't be tortured for your thoughts."

"Anna, give him a chance. He saved you," Castiel said.

Anna whipped her head over to him. "You trust him."

"I am starting to. He reinstated me after I fell and he's done a lot to help others I care for as well," Castiel said.

"He's probably hoping you'll lead him to the Winchesters," Anna argued.

"There is no need for that. He already knows where they are. He sees them frequently," Castiel said.

Anna looked back at Lucifer. "I don't trust you. You want to destroy the world. You'd sacrifice any of us for that. Yes, you saved me, but only because you want something."

"I can prove you wrong. Go. Leave Heaven if you want," Lucifer said.

"What?" Anna asked caught off guard.

"You contend I set you free to use you for my own goals. Well, I will prove you wrong. Leave," Lucifer urged.

Anna stood there for a minute stunned, unsure of what to say. "I...I could do anything. I could go to Michael and tell him your plan."

"That would be redundant, as I already told him myself. Go ahead. Go where you wish. Oh, but first. I've seen your plan. You'll fail. You should already know that the past can't be changed. Try to hurt Sam in the present though and you'll be stopped," Lucifer warned.

Anna stared at him for another minute and flew off.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Michael stormed angrily into Lucifer's office. "How dare you?!"

"Hello, Michael," Lucifer said simply from his desk. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific about what you're angry about. I've done a couple of things today that I'm sure annoy you."

"First you reinstate the traitor and then you take one of our prisoners? You had no right!" Michael fumed.

"Sure I did. If I didn't have the right to restore Castiel, I wouldn't have been given the power. As for Anael, you had no business torturing her in the first place," Lucifer said.

"She abandoned us! She's lucky she wasn't killed on the spot!" Michael roared.

Lucifer chuckled. "And I'm supposed to be the evil one. I don't know what happened to you, Mike. You've always been a sniveling daddy's boy, but you've never been this cold. You've never been the kind of guy to torture other angels All this tolerance for humans yet you turn on your own kind. Just more proof you need to be removed. You can't be trusted with this kind of power."

"Screw you, Lucifer! I am a good son!"

"Not anymore you're not. Dad doesn't want this. He doesn't want members of his family, his children, his grandson, tortured and persecuted. I have that on good authority. So it looks like I'm the good son now. How ironic is that?" Lucifer asked with a laugh.

"No! You're a liar! I know what Father wants and I will enforce it! It is my duty!" Michael yelled.

"Not for long," Lucifer promise as he stood up

"Where did you take Anna?" Michael demanded to know.

"I didn't take here anywhere. I let her leave. That's what she wanted. Now, if she does return, let me make it clear that she won't be touched," Lucifer said in a dangerous tone.

"You wouldn't just let her leave," MIchael said confidently.

"I did. I had no reason to keep her prisoner. Her only crime was wanting to get the hell away from you. I find I understand that. Speaking of, get out. I too want to get away from you," Lucifer said before turning to something on his desk, effectively dismissing his brother.


	58. Chapter 58

Sam woke up at around seven in the morning. It was pretty early in the morning for him lately, but he'd given up on trying to sleep longer. He'd had a pretty bad night sleep. It wasn't that he was afraid to sleep or didn't want to. He and Dean had gotten over the whole dream invasion thing in the last few days. Well, okay, they weren't over it, but they didn't let it keep them up. He was just uncomfortable all night. Hell, he still felt uncomfortable. His back ached. It felt like there was some kind of weight on it.

Sam slowly got up and went to grab some clothes to change into after his shower. He was still under Gabriel's very close watch, so laying around when he was clearly awake wasn't an option, even though that was all he wanted to do right now.

Once he had what he needed, Sam walked out of his room and into the bathroom. He put his clothes down on top of the toilet and then went to start brushing his teeth. The toothbrush barely made it to his lips before it fell from his hands and crashed down on the sink. That was when he got his first look in the mirror on what was causing him discomfort all night. And it freaked him out. "Gabriel!"

Seconds after his very panicked scream, Sam heard a crash, followed by footsteps rushing towards him. Gabriel showed up in the doorway soon after. "What's…? Oh, boy."

Sam's eyes hadn't left the mirror, or the huge ass wings moving around on his shoulders They were moving. They were freaking moving! How had he not noticed this before. Did he really not turn around to see what was bugging his back?

"What's going on?" Dean kind of slurred as he made his way over. It was clear he'd just woken up. He was in night clothes, had bed head and seemed a bit out of it. That was of course before he saw what everyone was preoccupied with. Then his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Holy crap! Are those…?"

"Of course they are!" Gabriel said cheerfully before clapping Sam on the shoulder.

Sam glared at his father. "I'm glad someone's happy about this because I'm losing my mind!"

"I can see that," Gabriel said. He didn't really blame him either. Massive wings showing up out of the blew wasn't exactly something you adjusted to in a matter of seconds.

"Wow," Dean said in awe as he reached his hand out to touch his brother's new wings. He had to admit they were kind of cool looking. There were two sets of white wings with gold flecks on his brother's back. It was weird, but also kind of cool. It was even weirder that he found they suited Sam.

Sam immediately smacked Dean's hand away. "Dude, are you crazy? You don't know what they'll do."

Dean chuckled slightly. "Sammy, calm down. It's not like they're alive."

"They're moving on their own!" Sam exclaimed.

"Well, not really. You're doing it, just not consciously. It's like every other power you've gotten. It takes time to adjust and control," Gabriel said.

Sam continued to look on in agitation as his wings continued to flap and flutter. "This is so weird. I wish they stop moving."

"Then will them to stop. They're a part of you. They do what you tell them to do. But first, you have to calm down in order to control them," Gabriel said.

"Calm down? I have two wings strapped to my back!"

"Four," Dean corrected.

Gabriel sent a small glare Dean's way. "Stop helping."

"Four?!" Sam said in a high pitched tone, causing his his wings to flap even more.

"Okay, let's continue this conversation outside the bathroom," Gabriel said before leading his son out of the room by the shoulder. They bypassed the kitchen and when into the living room where Gabriel quickly deposited his son on the couch. "Relax."

Dean, who was right behind them, leaned against the arm of the chair next to Sam, while Gabriel took a seat on the couch next to Sam.

Sam took a deep breath and sat back against the couch. His wings quickly began to fold a little and curl into his back. "How do I get rid of them? Well, not get rid of them. I'm pretty sure I can't do that, but how do I hide them?"

"I'm not sure you can," Gabriel said with a wince. That was the only part he didn't like about this. Sam might not be able to hide this from the world, which brought him back to the likelihood of Lucifer's statement that Sam would be better off in Heaven.

"You hide yours. How do you do that?" Dean asked.

"I'm in a vessel, that's how. This body isn't mine. It belongs to some dude named William. Well, it did before his mind was destroyed by my presence. Anyway, an angel's wings are a part of their true form. This is not my true form. That, however, is Sam's, which makes it different," Gabriel explained.

"So how's he supposed to hide it from the world? How's he supposed to go out in public?" Dean asked.

"Well, that's not a problem right now anyway. I'll figure it out by the time it is," Gabriel said.

Dean's eyes remained locked on Gabriel's. He couldn't help but think about their conversation a few days ago where Gabriel all but admitted he might take Sam to Heaven. That worry just became much bigger. If Sam couldn't hide his wings, he couldn't be around humans.

"What if you can't?" Sam asked worried.

"Look, we'll worry about it when the time comes. You won't be around humans for a while," Gabriel said.

Sam began to fidget. "They're uncomfortable."

"Yeah, they will be for a little bit. Your body needs to get used to their presence. Eventually, it will feel as though they were always there," Gabriel explained.

"Hey, man, think of it like this. You're gonna be able to fly one day," Dean said. He wanted to make his brother feel better, even if Dean himself was worried.

Sam knew his brother was trying to help, but he was failing. The idea of flapping his wings and flying was just another freaky thing to him that he didn't wanna think about, especially since they just appeared.

"Hey, is it normal that they just appeared like this overnight?" Dean asked Gabriel

"Normal for a regular angel? No. We were created with wing buds and they grew as we did. But Sam isn't a regular angel and his angel side was stunted because of the demon blood. There's also the fact that his human side is fully grown and his angel side is merely a fledgling that might be affecting it. Honestly, I don't know what normal would be for someone like him," Gabriel explained.

Sam kept looking back agitated. This whole thing was just really weird to him.

Gabriel patted him on the shoulder. "It's gonna be fine. Why don't go shower like you were planning and then we'll have breakfast?"

"You wanna go on like normal?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Yup! Freaking out about it isn't doing you any good. You need to learn to get used to your wings. That starts with going on like usual," Gabriel said.

"Well, will I even be able to change and stuff with them. How the hell am I gonna get a shirt off over them?" Sam asked.

"You'll be fine. They won't affect things like that. You'll see better when you do it," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded before standing up and heading back for the bathroom.


	59. Chapter 59

The next day, Gabriel took the boys to the same world he used to teach Sam to teleport. They stood in the same park. He wanted to help Sam learn to control his wings and the best place for that was a wide space so that nothing got destroyed by the gigantic wings. Actually, a couple of things had already been smashed by them. Sure, Gabriel easily fixed them, but it was still better to teach outside and avoid the unnecessary hassle.

"What happened to your 'props'," Dean asked jokingly. Things were a little different than the last time they were there. There were no longer any people around.

"Got rid of them. They aren't real, but they appear real and I figured they might bother Sam," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, they would," Sam said. He didn't want to think about a bunch of people staring at his huge wings. It wouldn't have mattered if they weren't actually doing it. It would feel like it. He felt self-conscious just knowing the wings were there.

"Okay, Dean, keep at least a five foot distance from your brother," Gabriel advised.

"Yeah, yeah, I got the message yesterday," Dean said as he took a couple of giant steps away from Sam. Yesterday, Sam had lost control of his wings and accidently flung him across the room.

Sam grimaced at the reminder. He felt really guilty about that. Dean had hit his head against the wall. Gabriel had easily healed him, but Sam had still hurt his brother and that made him feel bad.

"For the thousandth time, Sam, it wasn't your fault, and that's why we're here now, to try to keep something like that from happening again," Gabriel explained

"Right," Sam said with a nod.

"Alright, try to unfold them," Gabriel said. Sam's wings were currently curled against his back.

Sam looked over his shoulder and tried to make his wings move. Nothing happened, causing him to huff in frustration. "I can't get them to stop moving when I want them to, but now that I want them to move, nothing happens."

Gabriel chuckled. "That's where the lack of control comes in. Okay, try concentrating on your Grace to do it, just like you did with the smiting."

"Well, is it gonna make me wanna pass out like that too?" Sam asked.

"Nah. Smiting is difficult and requires a lot of your Grace. This is nothing," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating hard on finding his Grace. It wasn't long before he found the same sense of power he'd had before begin to flow through him. He immediately directed it into moving his wings.

"Great! They've unfolded!" Gabriel said gleefully.

Sam opened his eyes and looked back at his wings. They were spread out as far as they could go and the edges were moving slightly.

"Wow!" Dean said in awe.

"This isn't gonna stop being weird, is it?" Sam asked. Every time they moved or he even saw them he was kind of weirded out. That hadn't changed at all in the last twenty-four hours.

"I don't think so, but it's also kind of cool," Dean said.

"It will stop being weird eventually," Gabriel said with a laugh. "You'll get used to them and it'll be like you've always had them."

"I don't know about that. What now?" Sam asked.

"Well, for today, we're just gonna focus on controlling them a bit. I want you to practice folding and unfolding them," Gabriel said.

Sam concentrated again on his Grace and tried to make them go back down. When he opened his eyes again though, they were still up high. He tried a couple of more times, but no help. In fact, now they were kind of flapping around.

"You're trying too hard," Gabriel said.

"I thought I was supposed to concentrate," Sam said.

"There's such a thing as concentrating too hard. Try to relax your Grace. That's what will make your wings relax. Take a couple of deep breaths, maybe count to ten, and we'll see what happens," Gabriel suggested.

Sam followed the steps his father suggested and then watched as his wings slowly began to curl into his back again.

Gabriel smiled encouragingly. "That's what you do until you have control. Once you do, all you'll have to do is decide what you want and it'll work the same as everything else. Okay, we're gonna keep going a few more times."

Sam nodded and prepared to repeat the process.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

When Gabriel arrived back at the house with the boys, he found Lucifer lying leisurely on the couch watching TV. "Hey, bro. How long you been here?"

"Eh, not long, maybe fifteen minutes," Lucifer said while staring at the television. "I'll never understand the way humans amuse themselves.

"You're watching the freaking weather, Dude. That's why it's not entertaining," Dean said.

Lucifer scoffed as he watched the man on TV try to predict the weather. "As if any human could possibly understand something so complex."

"What are you doing here, Lucifer?" Gabriel asked with chuckle.

"I wanted to let you…" Lucifer trailed off as he turned to face the trio and noticed something curled against Sam's back. He leaned his head back a bit to see better and then smiled. He saw what he knew to be a large wing. He immediately got up and circled Sam to get a better look. Sure enough, four white and gold wings were strapped to Sam's back. "When did this happen?"

"He woke up with them yesterday," Gabriel said.

"They're fully grown," Lucifer said as he continued to admire them.

"Yeah, there was no warning. They were just there," Gabriel said.

Sam, meanwhile, was beginning to feel uncomfortable with Lucifer's staring. "Okay, could you stop. I'm kind of feeling like a science experiment here."

"Well, don't. This is great! An angel getting his wings is worthy of celebration. Well, actually, we're born with buds, but we celebrate when they're fully grown," Lucifer said before patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, they won't be so great when I can't hide them from the rest of the world," Sam said. He was really worried about that. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. They'd think he was a freak.

Lucifer opened his mouth to speak, fully intending on bringing up his belief that Sam should reside in Heaven when he made it possible. This was more proof that Sam didn't belong here. He belonged in Heaven. That was his home, just as it was any other angel's. Humans would try to destroy him if they knew what he was. They would never accept him. But when he went to speak, Lucifer received a warning look from his brother. Decided to surrender to the look, he promptly shut his mouth. However, he also sent his brother a thought. _'You know that I am right, Brother.'_

"You were gonna tell us why you came by," Gabriel reminded his brother, completely ignoring the older angel's thought.

"Yeah. A few days ago, Castiel and I rescued an angel from Michael's cronies. They were torturing her," Lucifer said before sitting back down on the couch.

Gabriel sneered in disgust. Before Lucifer's fall, he never would've imagined that Michael would become so cold. How could he actually torture his own siblings? Gabriel didn't even care what this angel had done. Nothing warranted that treatment.

"Why was he torturing her?" Sam asked. He too was sickened by it.

"She fell, abandoned Heaven," Lucifer told them.

"Anna," Dean said. She was the only angel he knew of that had purposely left. Well, except Gabriel. They must have somehow found her after she got away.

Lucifer nodded. "Her name is actually Anael."

"Oh, I remember her. She was always really sweet, a big lover of humans," Gabriel said.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Castiel healed her and then I told her to leave. I wanted her to know she could trust me. The best way for that was to let her go on her way, no strings. I'm hoping she'll come back when she's ready," Lucifer said.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something else? You didn't make a special trip just to tell us you saved Anna," Dean said suspiciously.

"No, I didn't," Lucifer said before turning to his brother. "I read Anna's mind. She'd had a plan to escape and a plan to try to stop the apocalypse."

"The apocalypse has already been stopped. Well, that one anyway," Dean said.

"She doesn't know that. She's been secluded and tortured by Michael. And even if she hadn't, Michael wouldn't have advertised any changes, even if he thought the final plan was destroyed, which he does not," Lucifer said.

"But he knows I can't be a vessel, which is part of the final plan. That alone puts a crimp in it," Sam said.

"Michael is not one to admit defeat. He's determined to find a way to make the plan happen because it's 'Dad's will'. It doesn't matter to him that you can't be a vessel or that I'm no longer interested in playing the game. He's determined to see it happen. Hell, he's probably still thinks it's 'Destiny'. Another thing he's a devout believer in. He doesn't believe in free will, though at this point, he should probably start," Lucifer said.

"Was it ever Destiny? I mean Chuck, meaning God, didn't really seem to want that. He seemed glad that it was stopped," Sam said.

"I'm starting to think it was a failsafe. I think the apocalypse was written just in case the worst happened and Lucifer was released and tried to destroy humanity, like it was when he was first released," Gabriel said. There was a point where he, like the others, believed that his father wanted Michael and Lucifer to fight to the death. It was another reason to resent the old man. But after hearing Sam's encounter with him, that position changed. Gabriel still had more than enough issues with his father, but he believed he could take comfort in the fact that he was not pitting son against son. "Anyway, back to Anael. What's she planning to accomplish by going back in time?"

"She plans to kill Mary Winchester to prevent Sam's birth, and consequently, Dean's. Not that it would work, even if she could kill the woman," Lucifer said.

"What?! She's gonna kill our mother?!" Dean asked loudly and frantically.

"We have to stop her," Sam said.

"Relax. She won't succeed, even if she does go through with it. Time can't be manipulated. What's happened thus far is set in stone," Lucifer said.

"We've gotta stop her. We have to be sure," Dean said.

"Calm down, Dean. Lucifer's right, time can't be changed. But this is evidence that Anna blames Sam for everything and might come after him," Gabriel said.

"I warned her that she'd be stopped," Lucifer said.

"Warned her? Why'd you let her leave after that?" Dean asked hotly. He'd liked Anna before, well, as much as he liked any angel aside from Cas, but now she was planning to target his family. She wanted to kill his mother and try to erase his brother from existence. She was no better than Michael in his book now. No one hurt his family.

Lucifer stood up and glared at him. "Because she'd been imprisoned for months and tortured. I was not going to add to her torment."

"He's right, she doesn't deserve to be held hostage. She's just trying to protect herself as well as the world. I can't expect her to care about my life. I'm nothing to her," Sam said.

"Nothing? How about one of the guys that helped save her life?" Dean asked irritably.

Gabriel, meanwhile, glared at his brother. "Why didn't you tell me about this days ago? If there's a threat to my son, I deserve to know about it immediately."

"I couldn't get away before now without risking Michael following. Michael's more of a threat than Anna could ever be, so I decided to wait. Anna can be handled if she must be. She's not really much of a threat. She's no match for you or me, probably not even for Sam. I'm hoping it won't come to that though. I'm hoping she listened to me and will give me a chance," Lucifer said.

"Seeing her being tortured affected you, didn't it?" Gabriel said. He could tell that his brother felt bad for their sister. He was fighting as much as he could to try to help her.

Lucifer sighed. "She didn't deserve what he did to her. He's torn our home and our siblings apart, Gabriel. Taking over isn't just for you and Sam anymore. I can't let Michael continue to destroy everyone. I'm not even cold enough for that. I have to stop him."

Gabriel nodded. "I get why you let her go. I don't want to see any of our family hurt. But if she comes after Sam, I will do what I have to."

"I'd expect nothing less, brother. I should go. I have a lot of work to do," Lucifer said.

Gabriel nodded.

"I'll come back when I can. Sam, congratulations on the wings," Lucifer said before disappearing.


	60. Chapter 60

Sam walked into the kitchen later that night, unable to sleep due to the adjustment of his new wings and the stress of the situation with Anna. Gabriel and Lucifer both said she wouldn't be able to change anything in the past, but he still worried for his mother and subsequently his brother.

Gabriel had just pulled a pie from the fridge that Dean had asked for when Sam entered the room. "Hey, kid. Can't sleep?"

"No. These freaking things are driving me nuts," Sam grumbled, referring to his wings.

Gabriel chuckled before grabbing a couple of plates from the cabinet. "You'll get used to the wings soon."

"Can't you just put me out?" Sam whined.

"Nope. I put you out, you don't adjust on your own. You need to get used to them," Gabriel said as he cut two pieces of pie and put them on the plates. He held one out for Sam. "Here, have some pie. I know you're a health nut, but one piece won't kill you. Besides, it has cherries in them. That's healthy," Gabriel joked.

Sam snorted as he took the pie. His father was probably right. It probably wouldn't kill him. He got the feeling that being unhealthy probably wouldn't affect him the way it would've if he were completely human. "Dean's gonna be pissed we're eating his pie."

"Hey. I snapped it up. That makes it my pie," Gabriel said before leading the way into the living room. He immediately plotted down in the recliner.

Sam followed and took a seat on couch.

"Something else keeping you up?" Gabriel asked. He knew there was because it was giving Dean a hard time too. He'd heard the hunter toss in turn quite a few times so far. He was pretty sure of what it was too.

"Anna," Sam said before taking a bite of his pie.

"She can't change the past, Sam," Gabriel assured him again.

"What if you're wrong?" Sam asked.

"I'm not. Time just isn't something you can mess with. Not even archangels have that ability. I suppose Dad could because he can do just about anything, but he would be the exception, and he wouldn't do it because he knows the kind of consequences it could have," Gabriel said.

"Wouldn't Anna know that?" Sam asked.

"She should, but I suppose desperation makes you suspend knowledge for a bit," Gabriel said.

"I feel bad for her. She's not like Michael. She's not doing this for some obsessive need for approval. She just wants to stop what she believes to be a terrible thing," Sam said.

"I agree with you. She's not like Michael, but if she decides to make herself a threat, I will have to remove her just the same," Gabriel said sadly. He was actually more reluctant to go after Anna than he was Michael. He too felt for her. Sam was right. Anna's actions, or plan of actions, weren't out of malice or prejudice. She simply wanted to stop a threat, even if the threat she was currently trying to stop no longer was one. But like he told Sam and Lucifer, he would stop her if she came after Sam. No one would ever harm his son.

"You know, aside from Dean and Bobby, and somehow it's just different with them, no one's ever devoted themselves to protecting me the way you have," Sam said. He was pretty sure that was why it was so easy to grow to care about Gabriel. No one else would've warmed up to a long lost father as quickly as Sam had, especially when they had such bad blood between them previously. Sam could only chalk it up to never really having a parent like that before.

"I'm your father. It's what I'm supposed to do," Gabriel said simply. It was really all that needed to be said. What he did to protect Sam wasn't some heroic thing. It was his job as the kid's father. He wished Sam could understand that.

"Sometimes I wonder if he sensed it," Sam suddenly said.

"Who sensed what?" Gabriel asked, though he had a feeling he already knew about the who.

"John. Sometimes I wonder if a part of him realized that I wasn't his. He never seemed to love me the way he did Dean. Sometimes I wondered if he loved me at all," Sam said. Like he'd said to Dean, most of him did think John loved him, but even know there were still times that he wondered.

"He did," Gabriel assured him. He hated the way John Winchester treated his son, and while in his opinion it wasn't enough, he knew John did love Sam.

"Are you sure? He was always disappointed in me. I wasn't like him and Dean. I always fought him. I hated hunting. I wanted to be normal. Whenever I told him that, he'd throw Mom in my face," Sam said glumly.

"I'm sure. As an angel, I have the power of empathy, remember. I felt that he loved you. It just wasn't as strong as his desire to avenge his wife. Her death broke him," Gabriel said. He could admit to having some sympathy for John in that regard. He'd watched the man before and after Mary's death. He was different before, doting to both Dean and Sam. He'd just closed off after his wife died and that was sad. Of course, most of Gabriel's sympathy for the hunter was overridden by the disgust for how he'd treated those boys as they grew up.

"I know. He told me once that when she died, he couldn't say anything but evil. That's how I know that if he was here now, that's how he'd see me. That's how he saw anything that was supernatural," Sam said.

"Whatever he would've thought isn't important," Gabriel said. He wouldn't tell Sam that he was wrong because he really didn't think he was and he would not lie to his son, not ever. Sam wouldn't even believe such a lie anyway. "The people who are important love you regardless. We're proud of what you are."

Sam blushed slightly. His heart soared every time his father said things like that because he never really got that growing up. Well, Dean would say it, but he never heard it from a parent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, because it made him feel like a little boy again, he craved it. "Thanks. It means something when you say things like that."

"Good, because I'll keep saying it until you're tired of hearing it. No, actually, I'll probably still say it after that. I'm determined to make you see what a great person you are," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam started laughing after a few moments.

"What?" Gabriel asked.

"Just thinking about everything that's happened since we met. Well, the first time I remember meeting you anyway. I never would've imagined all of this," Sam said.

Gabriel chuckled. "No, you probably would've thought it was crazy back then. Hell, you thought it was a lie when I told you. You know, I didn't really think things would happen this way either. I was trying to prevent it. I wanted you to know me, but I didn't want you to be in danger."

"I...I think I'm glad it happened this way. I mean, the whole half angel thing still freaks me out, especially considering how I'm perceived, but I'm glad to know you, to know I have a father that I know beyond any doubt loves me," Sam said. He'd been wary about admitting to Gabriel about how he felt before. It felt like he was betraying John. But was it really his fault that Gabriel was a better father to him than John was? Should he really feel bad about caring about someone who proved to him he was his priority? He was starting to believe he shouldn't.

Gabriel felt a tug at his heart. When Sam was born, he never dreamed this was possible, that he could have a relationship with his son and actually have him say he was happy to know him. It felt great. It was far from perfect because Sam didn't know him well enough yet, but it was a damn good start. "I'm glad you know that, son."

"I do… Dad," Sam said. He was unsure about using that last word, unsure of how it would feel. Using it was a last minute decision, but he was glad he did. It felt right to use it. It was weird too, as it was very soon after finding out Gabriel was his father, but it still felt right. After all, he'd already admitted to himself and Gabriel that he considered him his father. He might as well start using the term.

Gabriel almost gasped. He had not been expecting that word to leave his son's lips. He wasn't sure it ever would and he had been resigned to that notion. It was enough to have some kind of relationship with him. But tears of joy sprung from Gabriel's eyes when he heard it and he realized he never stopped hoping for it. He thought he was happy when Sam called him his father, but nothing compared to this moment, and this time, their was nothing to darken the moment. He could enjoy it. And he did. He immediately got up and went to his son. He pulled the kid up and into his arms. "I love you, Sammy.

Sam hugged his father back, unlike last time, it was not at all awkward. "I love you too, Dad."


	61. Chapter 61

Castiel walked through the door door to his garrison. Every garrison in Heaven had their own area and each angel in every garrison had their own space. For the lower level angels, that consisted of a single room, usually an office or a sitting room, somewhere they'd feel comfortable.

As Castiel walked down the corridors to his destination, he was met with members of his garrison, some of which gave him dirty looks and others which smiled and greeted him kindly. It was good to know that not everyone had turned on him.

Castiel stopped in the middle of the third corridor he walked down and knocked on the door before opening it and walking in. He found who he was looking for sitting on a pure white couch in the middle of the room with his legs propped up on the table in front of it.

"Castiel. I'd heard that you'd returned. Of course, you've been keeping yourself scarce since you returned," the angel commented.

"Hello, Balthazar. Yes, I've been busy," Castiel said. Also, he knew that he was considered a traitor, so he was hesitant to return to his garrison to see how many had turned against him.

"Yes, a little birdie is telling me that you've joined ranks with an unsavory brother of ours for which I worry for your sanity," Balthazar said.

"It's not what you think," was all Castiel said.

"So it's true then? Lucifer is your new best friend? I'm hurt, Cas. I didn't know I was that replaceable," Balthazar joked.

"I would not call him a friend, though he reinstated me unnecessarily. That has earned him a small part of my trust, as has other things I've seen him do," Castiel said before joining his friend on the couch.

"I applaud your slap to Michael's face this clearly brings, but seriously, what are you thinking going this route?" Balthazar asked, his face and voice losing any trace of humor.

"Things aren't how they once were, Balthazar. The apocalypse as was foretold is off," Castiel said.

"Yes, I know. Lucifer's presence here proves that the game has changed, despite the fact that Michael is actively trying to convince everyone that nothing has changed," Balthasar said.

"He believes it himself. MIchael's convinced that the apocalypse is Father's will and will happen no matter what. He's wrong," Castiel said.

"You realize what Lucifer's plan is, right? He plans to take over. You know this, yes. Not even you're naive enough to believe anything else, Cas," Balthazar said.

"I know it as fact. Yes, Lucifer is trying to take over. I was informed of his plan just after he put it into motion. So was Michael. Lucifer's made no move to hide it," Castiel said.

Balthazar laughed. "Well, that's certainly brazen of him. And it concerns me for you even more. You know what he's after and you still choose him. Don't get me wrong, Michael's an asshat, but do you really believe the devil himself is a better option?"

"Yes. He's already done things that I believe are better. He released Anna," Castiel said.

Balthazar nodded. "Yes, I heard that too. A campaign tactic. Gain trust from his hopeful disciples."

"Yes, that's the plan," Castiel said, not seeing anything wrong with it.

"Hmm. So that is why you're here then. To recruit me to support the Morning Star," Balthazar stated. It wasn't a question.

"Yes. I know you're reluctant to trust Lucifer. He doesn't even have my full trust. But he's not how we were taught to believe he was. Or at least he isn't anymore. He's not the devil,' Castiel said.

"If he doesn't have your trust, what makes you so willing to follow him? There's something you're hiding, Cas," Balthazar said.

"Suffice it to say things will become brutal should Michael remain in control," Castiel said.

"No, there's no 'suffice it to say'. What are you hiding?" Balthazar demanded to know.

"The information is not mine to divulge," Castiel said. He didn't really see much point in hiding the truth about Sam now that Michael knew. In fact, he was surprised Michael hadn't already relayed the information. But he had promised Gabriel he'd never tell anyone and unless he received permission from Gabriel himself, he intended to follow his word.

"So Lucifer wants allegiance, but he wants to keep secrets from us while gains it. That doesn't barter trust." he commented.

"No. It isn't Lucifer's secret to share either. Look, without going into detail, Lucifer's primary goal is to protect a brother and to keep other brothers from being murdered. Once he arrived and saw how things were here, another goal was undoing Michael's damage," Castiel explained.

"You're going to have to do better than this, Castiel," Balthazar said. He trusted Castiel, but agreeing to side with Lucifer was a big move. He needed all the facts before he considered such a thing.

"I can't. I promised," Castiel said.

"At least tell me what brother you're trying to help," Balthazar said.

"Gabriel," Castiel answered after a few moments of hesitation.

"Gabriel? The final archangel. So you're talking about something that could quite possibly lead to war against archangels?" Balthazar said gravely. He knew how serious this was. War between the four archangels would lead to the destruction of practically everything.

"That is what we want to prevent. We can remove Michael from power, end this without war," Castiel said.

"Michael is stronger than any of us. What makes you think that he won't just do what he wants when this is over?" he asked.

"He may be stronger than any of us, but he's not stronger than all of us. We'll be able to stop him much easier if we need to," Castiel said.

Balthazar sighed. "I find it hard to believe that Gabriel would do something worth Michael's wrath. He was the best of all four of them."

"What he did is technically illegal for us, but it shouldn't be. Look, right now all he's trying to do is look out for those he loves. Help us, Brother, please," Castiel pleaded.

"I'll consider it. But I must tell you, Castiel, if you're planning to gain the support of all angels, you're going to need to give more than you've given me," Balthazar warned.

"Thank you, Balthazar," Castiel said before getting up and heading for the door.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer walked through the garden. He was looking for one of his brothers and knew this was the only place he'd find him. Sure enough, he spotted Joshua tending to some flowers several feet away. He immediately headed towards him.

"Hello, Lucifer. I had a feeling you'd be coming by soon," Joshua said before turning towards the archangel.

"Joshua," Lucifer greeted.

"You are the talk of Heaven. Everyone is speaking of your return. I'd say there's not an angel here that doesn't know about it by now," Joshua commented.

"I'd say that's accurate. But you didn't need gossip to tell you I was here, did you?" Lucifer asked.

Joshua laughed. "No, I didn't."

"He's spoken to you?" Lucifer asked. Once he got the nod from the other angel, he went on. "He knows I'm here. He could've stopped me from coming back if he wanted.

"Naturally."

"He chose not to. I've assumed that means he wants me here. Am I right?" Lucifer asked.

"I don't think anyone knows what he wants, Lucifer. He never shares that much, even with me. I will say this, he seems optimistic," Joshua told him.

"What else has he said?" Lucifer asked, trying and failing to sound casual.

"Are you looking for forgiveness, Lucifer?" Joshua asked.

"Forgiveness? What do I need forgiveness for? He's the one who betrayed his own son for a failed science experiment," Lucifer said defensively. Truthfully though, a large part of him did want absolution. Another part of him, the part that answered Joshua, felt he was the one that was owed the apology. At this point, he just wanted some acknowledgment from his father.

"Well, whatever it is you seek from him, I'm afraid you can't get it through me. You'll need to wait until he returns," Joshua said.

"I don't suppose he's clued you in on when that will be," Lucifer said.

"I'm afraid not," Joshua said.

"Of course not," Lucifer sneered before walking away


	62. Chapter 62

Sam walked out of his room the next day, rubbing his eyes. He'd finally managed to fall asleep by like three or four in the morning and slept the rest of the night. He knew he must have slept in pretty late, as his father wasn't at the table when he made it to the kitchen. He walked through to the living room and found the angel on the couch. "Hey."

"Morning. Though it's almost too late to call it morning," Gabriel joked.

"What time is it?" Sam asked.

"Almost noon," Gabriel said.

"Damn," Sam said. He never slept this late. The latest he ever slept was maybe ten, and that only on rare occasions. "I'm surprised you didn't wake me."

"You needed to sleep," Gabriel said simply.

"Dean still asleep?" Sam asked, taking a seat next to his father.

"Yeah. He was tossing and turning last night too," Gabriel said.

"He's not convinced Anna isn't a threat," Sam said. He had his fears about it too, but he was trying to trust that his dad was right. He would know and there was no way he'd just let things happen if she really was a threat.

"You're not either. I don't blame you guys. It's hard to take someone else's word for it, even when you know the person saying it trustworthy, especially for hunters who are used to handling things themselves," Gabriel said

Just then, Dean came out looking more than a little grumpy. "Coffee."

"Yes, Your Highness," Gabriel said with a roll of the eyes before snapping up a two cups of coffee on the coffee table.

Both boys reached for their respective cups.

Once Dean had his coffee he walked over to the chair and plopped into it. "Any word from Lucifer?" He never thought he'd come to the point where he'd be happy to hear something from the devil, but here he was. It was still hard to see Lucifer as a good guy. Well, as good as you could call someone who hated all of humanity and had no problem killing them.

"Nope. Look, like I said, you guys have nothing to worry about," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, well, it's not your mother she plans to kill, so it's easy for you to say that," Dean said annoyed.

Gabriel glared. "She wants to kill my kid. You really think I don't stake here."

"Guys come on, stop. Dean, he's right, it affects him too. We need to believe him when he says there's no threat," Sam said.

"It's not that simple, Sammy. Someone may be trying to kill Mom and you and we're just sitting here. I don't do well with sitting and doing nothing," Dean said before taking a sip of his coffee.

Sam turned to his father. "Can't you go back and stop her, assuming she's gone through with it?"

Gabriel shook his head, "Leaving the time period would tear down the protections I have in place here. You'd be in a whole lot of danger. I won't risk that, especially since the trip would be pointless since Anna won't succeed. And as you said, that's assuming she even made the trip."

"Take us with you then," Dean said. He'd prefer that anyway. They were his parents. He wanted to help protect them if he could.

"Not gonna happen, bucko. Forget about it right now," Gabriel said firmly.

"Why? You said nothing could be changed anyway," Dean reasoned. "Nothing can change the past. Nothing will stop Mary Winchester from having you and living until '83. But a human and a nephilim going to the past can sure as hell get killed there," Gabriel explained.

"Okay, we get it, Dad," Sam said.

Dean completely stiffened and stared at his brother in shock. Sam had never used that word for the archangel. He always called him Gabriel. Why had that suddenly changed?

Sam cringed. He hadn't thought about how his brother would handle how Sam had decided to start addressing his father. He should've talked to him about it, let him know about it before he heard him say it

Sam turned to his father. "Can I speak with Dean alone in the other room?" He still wasn't supposed to leave his father's sight, but he hoped the angel would understand his need to talk to his brother.

"Of course. You wanna talk to your brother alone, you just say so," Gabriel said. He and Sam were still building back to trust, but he wasn't going to stop him from being alone with Dean. He thought his son would know that.

Sam got up and motioned for his brother to follow him before leading the way to his bedroom. Once they were both inside, he turned to Dean. "Look, I'm sorry. I should've told you privately.

"This couldn't have been going on long. Though Gabriel didn't seem surprised, so you've obviously called him that before," Dean said.

"Last night. I couldn't sleep, so I came out and we talked. It was a last minute decision to see how it would feel. It felt good, so I've decided to keep doing it," Sam said firmly. He wanted his brother to understand that regardless of how he felt, he was going to keep calling Gabriel 'dad'. He wanted Dean to be okay with his decision, but if he wasn't, it wasn't gonna change anything.

Dean looked away, unsure of what to say. This bothered him. He knew it wasn't really right for it to bother him. Sam deserved his father and Gabriel had proved that he was good for Sam. Sam needed and deserved Gabriel. But it still bothered Dean because he was already afraid he was gonna lose his brother soon. Lucifer was pushing for Sam to go to Heaven and Gabriel had admitted to considering it. And now Dean felt like if Sam got closer to Gabriel, he might not even protest. He might choose Gabriel.

"Look, Dean, this can't come as that much of a surprise, can it? You knew I'd become close to him," Sam said.

"Yeah, I know," Dean said. Sam was right, he shouldn't be surprised. Sam had already called Gabriel his father to his face. He should've known it would only be a matter of time before he started using the term 'dad'.

"Is it about John? Is that why you're so upset?" Sam asked.

"No. I guess I just don't want to lose you," Dean said.

Sam sighed. "I thought we'd gone through that. I thought you got by now that me caring about Gabriel didn't mean that I stop caring about you."

"It's just… What if he asks you to choos? To go to Heaven for good if the danger is fixed?" Dean asked.

Sam instantly realized what the problem was. "Oh, this is about what Lucifer said, about him wanting me to live in Heaven? Dean, did you not hear what Gabriel said right afterwards?"

"I heard him," Dean said. He'd heard it all. He'd heard Gabriel avoid the subject. Sam apparently chose not to hear it that way. He'd thought about telling his brother about his conversation with Gabriel after everyone left, but he decided not to for the same reason he hadn't brought it up before. He didn't want to put that on Sam. He didn't want him to feel that he had to choose. To that end, he regretted even bringing this up.

"Gabriel doesn't even seem to like Heaven. He ran away, remember. I don't think he's in a hurry for either of us to be there," Sam said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, okay. You're right," Dean said, trying to sound as convincing as he could.

"So you're okay with this then?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Temporary insecurity. Don't worry, I'll go back to being awesome now," Dean said with a forced smile.

Sam chuckled. "Okay, I'm gonna take a shower."

"Sure," Dean said before walking out of the room. He wanted to just head to his own bedroom, planning to avoid the archangel in the house for a while, but his stomach won out and he decided to head into the kitchen to get something to eat.

Dean went into the refrigerator and took what was left of his cherrie pie. There were a couple of extra pieces missing, which he could only guess was Gabriel's doing, but there was still a good chunk there

Gabriel appeared in the room a few seconds later. "I think we should talk, Dean."

"I'm talked out," Dean said flatly without even turning around. He grabbed a fork from the drawer and took a bite of his pie.

"Super strength, teleportation, dream walking, wings. And it won't stop there. The things that set your brother apart from humans are going to keep coming. How do you think this world is going to react to that?" Gabriel asked. He hadn't wanted to have this conversation yet, seeing no reason for a fight when they were so far away from having to deal with it, but Dean was clearly in agony over it, so they needed to deal with it.

"Right. It'll be better in Heaven with dicks who will call him an abomination," Dean said sarcastically before spinning around to face Gabriel.

"Not unless they want me to smite them. I get your point. That's why I'm reluctant myself. That and that I know what separation would do to the two of you. I have no interest in separating you. But angels will do what they're told at least. They're simple minded enough that if the man in charge says Sam is family, they'll treat him that way. Humans won't. They will persecute him, try to destroy him," Gabriel said.

"But you're an angel. You can stop them from hurting him. Hell, he could probably stop them. And that's just if they figure him out," Dean said.

"And if that was the only recourse, I'd do it. But what kind of life could he lead like that, being hated and shunned his whole life. And it won't just be one lifetime, it'll be hundreds." Gabriel said.

"What?" Dean asked surprised. He didn't know why he was surprised by Gabriel's last statement. He should've known Sam wouldn't live a normal lifespan.

"He doesn't realize it yet, but he's stopped aging. Though he does seem to realize that he won't die of old age," Gabriel said.

"How do you know he's stopped aging?" Dean asked.

"I can just tell. He can still be killed, but he won't die of natural causes. So this is one hell of a thing to ask of him, isn't it? To live surrounded by people who will never understand him while the people he loves die around him?" Gabriel asked.

"So I'm just supposed to let him go?" Dean asked sounding very much like a little kid. He didn't want Sam to live for eternity the miserable way Gabriel assumed he would, but he couldn't bare losing him forever either.

"Yeah, it might come to that. I'm sorry because I know how much that hurts, but I also know you love Sam enough to do it," Gabriel said.

"I...I gotta get out of here," Dean said before bolting from the room. He could feel himself start to lose it and no one except occasionally Sam got to see that.


	63. Chapter 63

Sam sat in the living room with his father and brother. He was reading a book while Gabriel and Dean were watching some medical drama they were both into that Sam had no interest in. "You guys realize this is just a glorified soap opera, right?"

"This is quality TV, Sammy," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, shut up, bitch. Doctor Sexy is awesome," Dean said.

Sam shook his head fondly. Actually, he was glad Dean was acting somewhat normal again. His brother had been off since the other day when they had that conversation about Sam possibly going to Heaven when this was all over. He'd stayed in his room almost that entire day. Sam got the feeling his brother wasn't convinced by Sam's assurances that he wasn't going anywhere. He just wished he had a way to convince him.

Sam's thoughts were interrupted when he felt another presence in the room. He looked up to see Cas in front of them. "Cas."

"Hey, bro, what's up? You weren't followed, right?" Gabriel asked.

"No. Lucifer is keeping Michael and Raphael busy," Castiel said before turning to Sam, glancing at his wings. "Sam, I'd heard you grew wings. They are beautiful. Congratulations."

"Uh, thanks," Sam said.

"So what's up?" Gabriel asked his brother again.

Castiel turned back to his brother and got back to his reason for coming. "I have news. Anna contacted me."

"Did she go back in time?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, but I don't believe she'd be calling me if she had. She wants to meet me. Brother, I would like permission to tell her the truth. I think it would help gain her trust," Castiel said.

Gabriel stood up from the recliner. "I'm going with you."

"That isn't necessary. I can handle it."

"She's after my kid, Castiel. I'm talking to her myself," Gabriel said before turning to Sam and eying him firmly. "Can I trust you to stay put while I'm gone?"

Sam nodded.

"I mean it, Sam. I need to know that you're not gonna do anything stupid again," Gabriel said.

"I swear, Dad," Sam promised. This time he would not break his promise. This was his chance to regain his father's trust. He wouldn't screw it up.

Castiel was mildly surprised to hear Sam address Gabriel as 'Dad', but only because he hadn't the last time he was there. Castiel knew it would happen, as Sam grew closer to Gabriel every day. It was bound to happen.

"I wanna come too," Dean said standing up. This angel was after his brother and maybe even still his mother. He wanted to be there.

"I believe I've already told you no. That answer hasn't changed. You will both stay put," Gabriel said before turning to his brother. "Lead the way, bro."

Castiel nodded and disappeared. Gabriel followed behind him, leaving Sam and a very irritated Dean behind.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel appeared by a park bench where Anna was waiting. "Hello, Anna."

Anna stood up and glared at Castiel as the two angels approached. "Another ambush, Castiel?"

"It's not an ambush," Gabriel said.

Anna turned to the archangel. Of course, she knew who he was. He wasn't even trying to hide his identity. "You've been gone as long as Lucifer. Some assumed you were dead, others say you just left because of the fighting. I guess it was the second one then."

"All due respect, I don't think you can judge much," Gabriel said in an impassive tone.

"No, I guess not," Anna agreed. She herself had chosen to leave Heaven, so he was right that she couldn't judge. "What do you want?

"We just want to talk to you, Anna. I'm glad you called," Castiel said.

"I shouldn't have. You betrayed me once, and now you have again," Anna said with a glare.

"I am sorry for what I did before, Anna. I let their torture break me. I betrayed you and I betrayed the Winchesters. I'm so sorry," Castiel said sadly. He would always regret his actions.

"Are you? You're all about Lucifer now. It doesn't seem like you regret your part in letting him out," Anna said.

"I regret my betrayal. I lied to Sam and Dean and hindered Sam's recovery from the demon blood. I'm lucky my actions didn't kill him," Castiel said. Demon blood was lethal to angels, and that amount in his system could've possibly killed him. It was just lucky that his human side seemed to protect him.

Gabriel patted Castiel on the shoulder, silently letting him know that there were no grudges held against him. He'd made a mistake and he'd done everything he could to make it right.

"Yet you make another betrayal, by bringing him here," Anna said as she eyed Gabriel distrustfully.

"I can understand why you distrust angels, but have I ever given you a reason to think I'd hurt you? Have I ever hurt you before?" Gabriel asked.

"No," Anna conceded. In fact, if she could think of any kind archangel, it would be Gabriel.

"And I won't hurt you now unless you give me a reason to," Gabriel promised.

"What does that mean?" Anna asked guarded.

"Sam Winchester. I will not allow you to touch him," Gabriel said firmly.

"I thought you were against the fighting. Why would you want Lucifer to take his vessel now?" Anna asked.

"Anna, things are not happening as the others planned. I thought that would be obvious by now," Castiel said.

"Maybe not now, but that doesn't mean it won't. Lucifer probably plans to take control and then take Michael out. And even if he doesn't, Michael still wants it. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. The only way is to take Sam out. Lucifer can't take him and he can't hurt humanity," Anna said.

Gabriel was really trying to keep himself calm because this young angel truly had good intentions, but she was talking about hurting his kid and every instinct he had was telling him to stop her now.

"Anna, you're wrong, but even if you were right, Sam doesn't deserve to be sacrificed that way. He hasn't done anything wrong," Castiel said.

"He let Lucifer out," Anna said.

"He had a lot of help. He had been manipulated for months by angels and demons. You don't get to lay this at his feet!" Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

Anna frowned a little. She didn't understand why Gabriel was so defensive of Sam Winchester. As far as she knew, he had nothing to do with him. He had no reason to care about Sam at except as a vessel for Lucifer. "Why do you care so much about Sam Winchester?"

"I think we should tell her, brother. If we want trust, we have to be honest," Castiel said.

Gabriel nodded. He was reluctant to tell anyone, but Castiel was right. Besides, they were all going to find out eventually. In fact, he was still a bit surprised Michael didn't tell the other angels. He could only guess that his older brother was hiding it because he worried that it would create discord and cause more to go to Lucifer. "You don't need to worry about Lucifer taking over Sam. Sam is not Lucifer's vessel."

"Of course he is. Sam's the brother of Michael's vessel," Anna said.

"Yeah, they're brothers in the way that that's the way they grew up and how they think of each other now. But genetically, they're not. Sam isn't Lucifer's vessel. He's not capable of being any angel's vessel. He's not completely human," Gabriel explained.

"Of course he is. I've been around him. I'd be able to sense it if he wasn't human," Anna said.

"He had demon blood in his system. It stifled him. If you were to see him now, you'd know he wasn't fully human," Castiel said.

"What is he then?" Anna asked.

"He's my son," Gabriel told her.

"Th...that's impossible?" Anna said, her eyes widening in shock at the implication. Okay, it wasn't actually impossible. It had been done before, but it was forbidden. A child sired by an angel and a human was considered an abomination. The kid would be killed and maybe even the angel too. And an archangel, a being intrusted to enforce Heaven's laws, creating such a creature was unbelievable. "H...he's a…"

"The word you were about to say better be 'nephilim'," Gabriel warned in an icy tone. He swore that if he heard the word 'abomination', and tolerance he was showing would go out the window.

Anna gulped a little at the archangel's tone. "It's forbidden."

"Anna, we both know that not all of Heaven's laws are just. This one is not. There is nothing evil or wrong about Sam. He's good man, so good in fact he was willing to die in order to prevent a war breaking out over his existence," Castiel said.

"Thank you for that reminder, brother," Gabriel said sarcastically.

"Does Michael know about this?" Anna asked.

"Yeah. I did my best to hide it, but he found out recently," Gabriel said.

"Lucifer knows as well and I'd gather Raphael too. This was Lucifer's primary reason for taking over Heaven. Once he got there and saw what MIchael had done to our home, he gained another reason, but Sam and Gabriel were his priority," Castiel explained

"And you trust that?" Anna asked skeptically.

"Yes. My trust in Lucifer is tentative, but I at least trust that he wants to help Sam. He cares about him," Castiel said.

"You can't expect me to just go back and trust him, an angel we've been taught was the devil," Anna said.

"So don't go back. I don't care whether you go back or not. Do what you want? But leave my son alone. If you come after him, I will kill you before you even have the presence of mind to ask yourself where it all went wrong," Gabriel swore.

Anna could tell he meant it. First of all, archangels didn't make veiled threats. They meant what they said and they followed through. Second, she could tell just from Gabriel's tone that he meant it. He loved Sam. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt him. "I understand. If this is true, I have no reason to go after him anyway."

Gabriel nodded. "We're clear then."

"Anna, I do want you to consider returning to Heaven. You can help us make things better there," Castiel said.

"I'll consider it," was all she said before disappearing.

"Well, I can finally reassure the boys she's not a threat anymore. I looked at her thoughts. She meant it. So, now I'm off," Gabriel said.

"Wait, one more thing, brother. Lucifer and I are starting the process of converting angels to our side, but it's problematic because we aren't being completely honest with them," Castiel said.

"You wanna tell them."

"Yes, especially since it seems Michael is hiding it from them. He obviously thinks some of them wouldn't agree with him," Castiel said.

"Not to mention that revealing the fact that he hid something so big from them might sway them more," Gabriel said. He could definitely understand what they were thinking. The problem was, Gabriel wasn't sure he wanted to risk what all those angels might do. However, it wasn't like they wouldn't find out. They were going to find out. There was no way around that. Gabriel would just have to trust Lucifer and Castiel to handle the situation. "Alright, but if any of them seem like they could be a threat…"

"We won't allow anyone to harm, Sam," Castiel assured him.

"Good. Now I should go," Gabriel said before teleporting home.


	64. Chapter 64

Castiel sat in one of Heaven's meeting rooms with his garrison, preparing to let them know about everything that had been kept from them. After talking with Lucifer, they'd decided to just tell a small faction for now, some of the lower angels, allow them to take it in and spread the word around themselves. It would have more effect that way. "Thank you all for coming."

"It's not as if we had much choice. You are our superior and it's our job to follow orders," one said coldly

"Do we not owe him to at least listen respectfully, Hillel?" another asked.

"Thank you, Inias. I realize that my absence has caused distrust with some of you," Castiel said.

"Absence? You were cut off because of your betrayal!" another angel accused.

"Shut up, Vashti, and let the man speak," Balthazar said.

"I know he is your friend, Balthazar, but he works for Lucifer!" Vashti snapped.

"We all work for the archangels, you idiot," Balthazar replied.

"Yet, he rebelled from Michael!" Hillel contributed.

"Enough!" Castiel said loudly to stop the fighting. Everyone looked to him. No matter how much a lot of them might not like him at this point, he was still in charge of their garrison and they knew they had to follow him. "As I said, I understand everyone's concerns. I understand you want answers to my actions. I intend to give them to you now. This way you can make your own decisions about them."

"Let's have it, Cas," Balthazar encouraged kindly.

"It is true that I chose to rebel from Heaven. I did this because I could not condone Heaven's plan," Castiel said.

"Heaven's plan is God's will!" Vashti yelled.

"Vashti, do you even understand what Heaven's plan was?" Castiel asked. He wondered if the others had yet been made aware that Michael and Raphael had always planned to start the apocalypse.

"To stop the Morningstar," he said.

"Maybe now, but it wasn't then. Michael and Raphael orchestrated Lucifer's release," Castiel said.

"What?" Inias asked in disbelief.

"He's lying," Hillel said.

"I have no trouble believing it," Balthazar said. Actually, he knew it was true. He poked around after Castiel rebelled, wanting to know what caused it. "Do you really think Michael couldn't have stopped it if he wanted to? There are plenty of ways he could've done it, like not waiting forty years to rescue the Righteous Man from Hell. They waited until he broke, until the first seal was broken."

"Why would they want that?" Inias asked.

"To create paradise on Earth," Castiel said.

"So what? If that is God's will, let it be," An angel Castiel recognized as his second, Hester, said.

"You really think that is his will? That our father wishes to destroy his own creation? Why would he want that?" Balthazar asked.

"It was written, wasn't it?" Hester shot back.

"As a precaution, at least that is my belief. He created the final plan in case things went wrong and we had no choice. Think about it, if Lucifer's death was his ultimate goal, why did he order him sealed into the cage? Why not have Michael kill him then and there?" Castiel asked.

An angel named Gideon stood up. "If this is true, how are we supposed to trust Michael? He set the Morningstar free and lied to us! How can we trust him?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the point, Gideon. We can't trust him," Balthazar said.

"He is our leader. We must trust him," Hillel said.

"And allow him to lead us to possible slaughter?" Inias asked.

"Don't be dramatic. Michael's goal seems to be in our favor, give us paradise," Hester said.

"Say you're right, it hasn't gone down the way Michael wants. Lucifer is free, but he isn't trying to destroy humanity. He's here, trying to take over our world. Michael and Raphael have forced him upon us because they decided to start something that maybe shouldn't have been started," Gideon argued.

"Michael says the plan is still in place," Hillel said.

"Michael lies!" Gideon yelled as he slammed his hand down on the table.

"Everyone, please stop," Castiel requested as he tried to regain control of the meeting. He wasn't surprised by the discord. Lucifer had actually told him it would probably happen. He'd said that some would start to see while others wouldn't be so easy to convince to turn against Michael.

They all turned back to him and Gideon returned to his seat.

"I wish I could tell you all that this was everything I wished to explain to you," Castiel said.

"There's more, brother?" Inias asked with trepidation.

"I'm afraid so. We face the possibility of a fight much worse than the one between Michael and Lucifer should Michael get his way," Castiel said.

"What do you mean?" Hester asked.

"A fight between all four archangels," Castiel said.

"All of them? That could destroy us all!" Gideon exclaimed.

"Wait, all four is impossible. The archangel, Gabriel, is dead. Three archangels are all that remain. Castiel is lying to us," Vashti said with a glare sent towards Castiel.

"You're wrong, brother. Gabriel is still alive. He chose to walk away from Heaven due to the pain of the fight between Lucifer and Michael," Castiel said.

"Gabriel is alive? His loss was grieved by all," Hester said.

Castiel nodded. That was a fact. Gabriel had always been known as the kindest archangel. He never looked down at lower angels, despite the fact that he was several ranks above them. Castiel wondered if perhaps some would side with them simply out of loyalty to Gabriel.

"We all know Gabriel's death was just one rumor, while the other rumor was that he left. It appears the second rumor was the accurate one. Frankly, it's not that hard to believe. Everyone knows Gabriel detested fights between us," Balthazar said.

"But then why are we assuming he'd fight himself now?" Hester asked.

"Because he has something to fight for. His son," Castiel said.

Everyone was shocked and started murmuring to themselves and each other, even the angels who had yet to speak so far had abandoned their silence.

"Well, Cas, I have to say, I hadn't guessed this one," Balthazar said surprised. He'd had his guesses for what Castiel could be hiding for Gabriel, but this didn't even make the top hundred.

"Son? You mean to say a nephilim? He created an abomination?!" Hillel asked angrily.

"He has a half-human son, yes, but I ask you not to use the word 'abomination' to describe him in my presence," Castiel said as calmly as he could. He cared a great deal for Sam and he did not want to hear him spoken of this way.

"But it is what this thing is? It's kind is forbidden!" Hester said with a scandalous look.

"Oh, but of course Gabriel must think he's exempt from the forbidden. He's an archangel. I guess he's above the rules the rest of us must follow," Hillel sneered.

"I highly doubt that this was something that was planned. Humans have children all the time by mistake. It's possible that Gabriel was reckless and the child was born by accident," Balthazar said.

"Then why hasn't he gotten rid of it?" Hillel asked.

"You ask why he has not murdered his son?" Castiel asked.

"It's an abomination!"

" _He_ is his son," Castiel said firmly.

""You've spent time with this person? You trust him, Cas?" Balthazar said. He was trying to stay open-minded, but it had been instilled in all angels that nephilim shouldn't exist, so he couldn't be blamed for being somewhat cautious.

"Yes. It is Sam Winchester. I trust him completely," Castiel said.

"Sam Winchester? The boy who drinks demon blood, yet more proof that he shouldn't exist," Vashti said in disgust.

"Sam was manipulated into his actions, both by us and by demons, and his guilt for them was and still is profound! He is a good person," Castiel said firmly.

"This is sickening! Tell me why we shouldn't just go to Michael with this now," Hillel said.

"Michael is already aware of this," he said.

"What? Michael knows there is a nephilim out there? Why hasn't he informed us?" Hester asked.

"I can't say for certain. Perhaps he's unsure that all angels will adhere to his law. He may believe that some might have compassion for a being that is part of us. Or perhaps he doesn't want you to know that his desire to destroy Sam may destroy all of us," Castiel speculated.

"Because Gabriel will fight back," Gideon said.

"Yes, and Lucifer and Raphael will both take sides as well. Lucifer has already made his decision to stand by Gabriel clear. It will end terribly if it goes down that way. That's why Lucifer has decided to come home and try to force Michael to step down," Castiel explained.

"Is that why you're standing by Lucifer, brother?" Inias asked.

"It's why I started, but the more I work with him, the more I believe that his leadership would be better than Michael's," Castiel said.

"Yes, well, we won't be following your stupidity," Hillel said with a glare.

"Speak for yourself, brother. I'm going to stand by Gabriel, even if it means standing by Lucifer as well," Gideon said.

"What? You support the creation of a nephilim?" Hillel asked in disbelief.

"No, I don't know how I feel in that regard, but under the circumstances, it seems like we have more to fear from Michael. His actions could destroy Heaven. Besides, I respect Gabriel much more than any of the others and this is the path he supports," Gideon said.

"Gabriel has always been the kindest. I won't turn against him either. I find his decision to create a nephilim to be beyond reckless, and I wonder if his judgement might be impaired because of his feelings for the being he created, but he long ago earned my trust," Hester said.

"You have me as well. I don't trust the Morningstar, but I trust you, Castiel. If you say this is the right path, then I will follow you down it," Inias said.

"Same for me, Cas," Balthazar said.

Castiel watched as several others agreed to follow. Some others seemed unsure and a few declined, but Castiel was still pleased by those that agreed to side with him and Lucifer. It seemed they really might stand a fighting chance of ending this somewhat peacefully.


	65. Chapter 65

Sam was laying on his bed reading. Every since his father came back from his meeting with Anna, he'd given Sam a bit more privacy. He still wasn't allowed to have the door closed when he was in there and his teleportation was still blocked, but it was a start, and Sam couldn't be happier about that. It wasn't just having more privacy, though Sam found he had missed that. He loved his father and brother, but there were times that he just wanted to be alone.. The biggest thing though was that he was earning back his father's trust. That was what he found mattered the most.

"Hey, Sammy, Cas is here!" Dean's voice suddenly rang out.

Sam shut his book and got up. He went out into the living room and found Cas sitting on the couch with Dean while his father sat in the recliner. "Hey, Cas."

"Hello, Sam," Castiel greeted.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked warily. He'd learned to be a little nervous when Cas or Lucifer showed up, as they were pretty much full time in Heaven now and only came down to give them news, and more times than not, it was bad news.

"Everything is well, yes. I came to give you all a status report," Castiel said.

"Gabriel said you were telling people about Sam," Dean said a little shortly. He hadn't been thrilled by that. He knew it was kind of impossible to keep it from them, but in his mind, it was better to keep it quiet for as long as possible. More angels knowing just seemed like more enemies to worry about.

"Yes, I did. I told the members of my garrison and they've passed word around a bit," Castiel said. That was exactly what they knew would happen. Lucifer had decided that it was better that the majority of the host found out from someone other than them. He said that they would be more trusting to their conrads.

"Give us the damage, bro," Gabriel said, prepared for the worst. He knew that most of his brothers would be against him, at least for now. It was why he was still really skeptical about Lucifer's plan, though he was willing to go with it to try to prevent too much damage.

"Actually, I was quite pleased by the outcome. A good number have decided to side with us and another fraction have yet to make a decision," Castiel said.

"Seriously? There are more than just a handful ready to follow the Devil?" Dean asked surprised.

"Oh, no, the majority do not wish to follow Lucifer. He has a few followers, but most do not trust him," Castiel said.

"For you then?" Sam asked.

"No, not for me either. Most do not trust me since I chose to rebel. I have a few that choose to fight for me, but that too is a very low number. A good number are doing this for Gabriel," Castiel said.

"What?" Gabriel asked surprised. That caught him off guard. He didn't think there would be angels on their side for no other reason than because it was the side he was on. Surely he didn't have that kind of impact on his siblings. He'd never even on any side of a fight before.

"They're fighting for you, brother. They don't trust Lucifer and a great deal of them don't trust Michael, but they trust you," Castiel said.

"Not that it's a bad thing, but why don't they trust Michael?" Dean asked.

"I told them about the apocalypse and how it was started. They didn't know that Michael and Raphael set out to start it. It didn't bother all of them, but it bothered some," Castiel said before turning to Gabriel. "It bothered them even more that he was willing to start a war with you that could end up destroying them and Heaven and didn't even tell them."

Gabriel was still dumbfounded that he had so many supporters in Heaven. "Why? Why would they fight for me?"

"They respect you more than the other archangels. You were always kind to us and never used your status against us, despite the fact that you were an archangel and infinitely more powerful than them. That gained our respect," Castiel said.

Gabriel was still bewildered. All he'd ever done was treat his siblings like siblings. He certainly never thought that simply kindness would earn him enough respect that his siblings would follow him despite the fact that he'd done something they were taught was wrong simply because it was him. Not that he was unhappy about it. He needed as much support as he could get and he was franky touched that they were willing to fight for him. It made him feel a bit better about the prospect of going home with Sam one day. Maybe they could accept and respect Sam as they did him.

"What about Michael? He can't be happy about this," Dean said.

"I haven't seen Michael since I returned to Heaven. Actually, I didn't really interact with him much before I rebelled. Michael doesn't really bother with my rank unless he has to. That's what angels like Zachariah are for. But I assume you're right, though Lucifer did warn him of his intent," Castiel said.

"That kind of explains why it's so easy to turn on him. Michael never really gave the angels the time of day, so they don't feel any real loyalty to them," Sam said.

"Michael's not taking this well. I don't even need to see him to know that. To him angels turned against him for any reason is blasphamy. He's gonna do something," Gabriel said with some worry in his voice. He knew his brother. He was patient for the most part, but when something like this happened, where he considered their father's will to questioned, he became very hostile. He would consider a large number of the host to become such a case. It made Gabriel worry that his brother would double his efforts to find Sam and use desperate means to do it.

"Lucifer's trying to keep his eye on him," Castiel tried to reassure," Castiel said.

"He's either going to come harder after us or he's gonna go after the other angels to punish them for turning. Be careful, Castiel," Gabriel warned

"Of course. I should go. There is much that still needs to be done," Castiel said.

"Thanks, brother," Gabriel said before watching his brother disappear.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Castiel appeared back in Heaven in front of Lucifer's office. He was about to knock when he heard another voice.

"Castiel."

Castiel turned to see Michael standing in the doorway of his own office. "MIchael?"

"Join me please," was all Michael said before disappearing into his office, leaving the door open for the other angel.

Castiel sighed and with trepidation turned and walked into MIchael's office.

"Shut the door, brother," Michael requested as he situated himself into his desk chair.

Castiel did so. If Michael was going to do something, a closed door wasn't going to stop him.

"I was looking for you earlier. You were gone. I trust you went to see our traitor of a brother and his abomination," Michael sneered.

Castiel was more than a little tempted to defend Gabriel and Sam, but he chose to stay silent. Michael was still in charge at this point. It was best not to antagonize him if possible.

"I know you've been turning our brothers against me as well," MIchael said.

"No. I've offered them the truth and let them choose what to do with it. If they've turned against you, it's because they don't trust you. You can't hide things and expect blind loyalty to continue," Castiel said.

"I tell them what they need to know!" Michael said sharply.

"They shouldn't know you intend to lead them to their deaths?"

Michael laughed. "You don't think the abomination will lead to deaths of our kind?"

This time, Castiel didn't suppress the need to defend Sam. "His name is Sam. He is not an abomination, he is your nephew. And, no, he would never intentionally harm anyone. I know that because he was willing to sacrifice himself to you in order to save both humanity and angels."

"You should've let him. It seems he knows he's not meant to exist. I would've ended it quickly. None of our brothers would've had to know he even existed. Everything could've gone on as it should," Michael said.

"With all due respect, you're delusional if you think it would've ended there. You would've brought war on Heaven by killing Sam. The worst part is, I think you know that and you don't care," Castiel said sadly.

Michael stood up angrily. "You dare question my devotion to Heaven?"

"You're fixated on what you think Father would want. You don't care what happens to anyone else so long as you have his approval. For the life of me though, I don't understand why you'd think he'd want everything he created destroyed," he said.

"What would you know? You've never even met him," Michael said with disdain.

"I have unknowingly, but that's not the point. I've been taught enough about him to know that it's ridiculous that he'd want every single thing he created killed. And I know for a fact he doesn't want Sam killed," Castiel said.

"Oh, yeah? Is this another attempt to convince me that Father would lower himself to meeting with such a vile creature?" Michael asked.

"I don't care if you believe it. I am trying to convince you of nothing because I know it wouldn't do any good. That's why we have to stop you,"

"You dare speak to me like this, as if you are anywhere near the same caliber as me? I could kill you now without even touching you," Michael seethed.

"You could," Castiel granted. A part of him was worried about that, which was why he was trying to remain as calm as respectful as he could under the circumstances, though some defiance couldn't help but come out. "I'm willing to die to protect Sam. I've died to protect him and his brother before. But it won't really change anything if you kill me, will it. It's not me our siblings are fighting for. So do what you want.

Michael glared at him. "Don't think for a moment that this is over. Once I deal with the nephilim, Gabriel, and Lucifer, you're next."

"If you have your way, we'll all be dead anyway, so once again, it won't change anything," Castiel said before leaving the room.

Michael fumed. How dare that little bastard treat him in such a way. He would've killed him, but Castiel was right, it wouldn't change anything. If anything, it would just turn more against him. He couldn't afford that. No, he had to take care of the abomination first. Finding and destroying that thing was the most important thing right now. He needed to come up with a plan soon.


	66. Chapter 66

Dean walked into the kitchen and found his brother at the counter chopping vegetables. "Dude, what are you doing?"

"I'm making a salad to go with dinner," Sam said as he continued to chop his peppers

"Why didn't you just have Gabriel snap one up like the rest of dinner," Dean asked.

"I offered," Gabriel said as he walked into the kitchen with a smirk on his face. "Apparently my snapping skills aren't good enough."

"I want it my way. It always comes out better," Sam said as he looked up at his father and brother. He didn't stop chopping as he looked up though and apparently missed because the next thing he knew, he was slicing into his finger. "Ah! Damn it! He grabbed the nearest rag and placed around his now bloody hand.

Gabriel held out his hand. "Let me see. I'll heal you."

Sam frowned. He was about to push his hand towards his father when he realized the pain had gone away. He removed the cloth he was using to stop the bleeding only to find that his hand was fine. If not for the blood covering the rag he'd used or the pain he originally had, he'd think he never hurt his hand to begin with. "Um, I don't think you'll have to."

Dean stepped forward and looked at his brother's perfect and cut free hand. "Damn. That's freaking awesome!"

Gabriel grinned. "Your healed yourself. It's a little different than how it works with us. Angels aren't at all affected by human injury. You seem to be, but it heals quickly."

"So you think it'll even work with worse injures, like maybe a bullet through the chest?" Dean wondered.

"Well, I'd prefer not to test that theory, but probably. Supernatural methods, such as angel blades are different though. Grace can't really hold up against them. Well, regular ones can with archangels, but they'd kill any other type. Archangel blades, however, would kill just about anything," Gabriel said. He wanted Sam to be aware that he could still be killed. There were to be no unnecessary risks.

Sam nodded. He understood what his father was trying to tell him. "I get it, Dad."

"It'll be useful for hunting. Well, if we ever hunt again," Dean said. Some sadness was in his voice as he remembered that that probably wouldn't happen again. It wasn't really the hunting thing that bothered him. It was the fact that he might never see Sam again once this was over. He doubted Sam being almost impervious to injury would change Gabriel's mind about bringing him to Heaven.

"Yeah, I think this is the best power I've gotten so far. Though I wish all these powers would come at once, so I'd know it's over," Sam said.

"Dude, are you crazy? You wanna tackle all that at once? You think you freak out now when something angelic happens to you. It'd be a whole lot worse with all those uncontrollable powers hitting you at the exact same time," Dean said.

"Yeah, I hadn't thought of it that way. I just hate being caught off guard and trying to anticipate what's going to happen next," Sam said. He spent a great deal of time worrying about what power would show itself next and how dangerous it might be.

"Don't worry, kid, the rest will probably manifest very quickly, especially now that you have your wings. Actually, a lot of them probably already have. It's just that you haven't come to a situation where you need them yet. Hence why your ability to heal just presented itself," Gabriel explained.

"Yeah, that kind of makes sense," Sam said.

"Great, can we eat now. I'm starving." Dean said.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother. "Give me a minute to finish my salad," Sam said.

"Fine," Dean said with a dramatic sigh before walking away from his brother.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Michael was enraged. It seemed be became more angry every second Lucifer and his traitorous new disciple, Castiel, were around. It wasn't just derailing the apocalypse or protecting the Nephilim either. They were attempting to destroy everything he had. Ever since they returned, many of his younger siblings looked at him with distrust, some even seemed angered by him. It was inconceivable. They should be able to see past Lucifer's games. He was the good son. He was the one following their father's will. How could they not see that he was who they were meant to listen to.

As Michael angrily walked down a corridor towards his office, he noticed two angels speaking quietly in the corner. Two angels that had other things they were meant to be doing. He angrily stalked towards them. "Jael, Hosea, what are the two of you doing."

Hosea gulped slightly. "We will re…return to our garrison, sir."

"You are meant to be guarding the Singer house, Hosea. Jael, you and several others of your garrison are supposed to be searching for Bobby Singer," Michael said. He hadn't stopped his efforts to find Singer. While he wasn't looking for information from the old man anymore, he still intended to use him. He was hoping having control of him would lure Sam Winchester out so he could take care of him.

Hosea appeared to be extremely frightened and looked towards Jael for guidance.

The other angel put his hand on his brother's shoulder and looked to Michael with determination and slight defiance. "Those orders were rescinded."

"By who?!" Michael asked through gritted teeth. He knew who'd done it. It was either Lucifer or Castiel on Lucifer's orders. They were going too far. Now they were encouraging his soldiers to defy him completely.

"Archangel Lucifer," Jael said.

"Lucifer is not your leader! He is nothing but a traitor who has no place amongst us!" Michael growled.

"With all due respect, he's here, isn't he? If his presence was truly unwelcome, it wouldn't be allowed," Jael said. He agreed with the opinion that if their father didn't support Lucifer's plans, he would've stopped them. That was why when word of everything hit him, he chose to support the Morningstar. Well, that and he'd come to the conclusion that Michael couldn't be trusted.

"It is merely a test!" Michael practically yelled.

"I agree with you, brother. I just think it's a different test than you do," Jael said.

"You are not meant to think! You are meant to follow!" Michael said angrily. This was blasphemy! It could not be put up with. His father would be mortified by this defiance. Michael needed to get things back under control.

"Yes, we are meant to follow the archangels. We are following an archangel. It just isn't you. Now, I mean this with the respect your title deserves. We don't trust you," Jael said.

Michael sneered. "You trust Lucifer? You trust the monster our father ordered cast into hell's cage?"

"Yes. Perhaps that should tell you something," Jael said. His voice remained calm and anger free. While he didn't really respect Michael as a brother, as an archangel, he was entitled to at least some.

"Excuse me?" Michael asked in rage and disbelief.

"I simply mean that if we can trust an angel that committed such a severe crime over you, perhaps the problem is you."

"How dare you?!" Michael asked angrily as he made a move towards him.

"Now, brothers, let's not fight," a new voice said.

Michael looked just behind the two young angels to see Lucifer there smirking.

Lucifer turned to his younger siblings. "Boys, don't let our brother keep you from your duties any longer. There are things to be done."

"Yes sir," Jael said before leading his bother away.

"Attempting to attack your bothers, Michael, is not going to gain you any favors," Lucifer said in a slightly condescending tone.

Michael glared daggers at him. "You will pay for this, Lucifer! You are turning our siblings against me!"

"Did I not warn you that it would happen? I was very up front about what I intended to do. If you chose not to believe me, that's not my problem," Lucifer said.

"I will not let you destroy what our father has built!" Michael yelled.

"That is your intention, not mine. Funny enough, I'm the one trying to protect our father's creations, even the ones I personally think are miserable failures. Who's the good son now, Michael?" Lucifer asked amused.

"There is nothing good about you! I will not let you win!"

"Do you hear yourself, bother? You sound like a petulant child who didn't get his way. People used to call me the brat of the family, but they've clearly never seen one of your tantrums. That's one of the many reasons you shouldn't be in charge and why you won't be for much longer," Lucifer said before walking away without even giving his brother a chance to respond


	67. Chapter 67

Sam was with Gabriel in the park of one of his alternate realities. They'd been doing some more training with his wings. Dean wasn't with them. He'd gotten kind of bored watching their training sessions, so instead, Gabriel teleported him to the beach in the same reality.

"You're doing great, kid. You got this pretty much down pat," Gabriel praised. In just a couple of weeks of training, Sam pretty much had his wings under control. He could fold, unfold, and flap them at will.

"Yeah, having them doesn't seem so bad anymore. I'm getting used to them. So what's next? Flying?" Sam asked. He figured that was coming soon. He was both excited and scared at the prospect. The idea of actually being able to fly seemed cool, but it scared him too, both because it was new power and all those scared him, and, well, because like with every other power, he could lose control of it. Losing control on the ground was bad enough. The idea of failing and falling from hundreds of feet in the air was kind of freaky.

Gabriel cringed. That was one gift he wasn't completely ready to introduce to his son. Things were slowly getting better, but he still had some trust problems with his son. He worried about giving him another method of leaving to do something reckless. "Yes, but I need a little more time before we start doing that.

Sam hung his head sadly. It wasn't really the fact that he had to wait to learn this ability. It was because he knew the reason why. His dad didn't completely trust him just yet and worried about him having this ability.

"No, don't do that. We've made a lot of progress. I just need a little more time. Honestly, it's more about my fear than trust in you. It's just hard for me to stop picturing that night," Gabriel said softly.

Sam nodded. "I get it. I'm really sorry. I swear, I'll never do it again."

"Most of me believes that. Just give me maybe a couple of more weeks," Gabriel said.

"Okay," Sam said.

"Alright, should we go get your brother?" Gabriel asked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Dean. I was hoping you could talk to him soon," Sam said. He still caught Dean acting weird once and a while, looking at him like he was afraid he'd lose him at any second. Dean still believed they'd be separated, no matter how many times Sam assured him otherwise. Maybe if his father said it, Dean would believe.

"About what?" Gabriel wondered.

"Well, thanks to Lucifer, Dean's worried that we're going to go to Heaven when this is over and he'll be left alone. I've tried to tell him he's wrong, but I don't think he believes me.

Gabriel sighed. He knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid this conversation with Sam forever. He'd been trying to put it off, thinking that the possibility of returning to Heaven was too far away to worry about. He hadn't even wanted to discuss it with Dean, but the kid left him little choice. But now, returning to Heaven seemed more and more possible, especially after hearing how many angels had lined up to support him. It was time to let Sam know what he was thinking. He deserved to know.

"Dad?" Sam pressed.

"Come on, let's take a seat," Gabriel said as he pointed to a nearby bench.

"Why?" Sam asked nervously.

"Because I want to talk to you and I'd like us to be sitting for it," Gabriel said before leading the way over to the bench. He sat down and waited patiently for Sam to join him.

Sam stood in spot for a second before reluctantly walking over and sitting down next to his father.

"I actually have spoken with Dean on this matter. I'm sorry, I know I should've spoken with you too before now, but given how far away such a decision seemed, I didn't think it was necessary at that time," Gabriel explained.

"No," Sam said in a firm tone before standing up.

With a wave of his hand, Gabriel had Sam right back down on the bench. "Don't even think about it. You are not going to walk away from this and you're not going to throw a fit like a child. You are going to sit here and we're going to have a rational discussion. Do you understand me?" he asked in calm yet firm tone.

Sam nodded after a minute, knowing he had no real choice.

"I've spent most of your life afraid for it. I was terrified of what my brothers could do to you. I never even considered the possibility of returning to Heaven with you until Lucifer told us his plan and mentioned the possibility," Gabriel said.

"But you told Lucifer we wouldn't do that," Sam said.

"No, I told him it wasn't his choice. It isn't, but he's not wrong. When you first accepted what you were, I tried like hell to convince you that you weren't some supernatural freak, that you were still part human. All of that is true, but the part of you that is human is greatly outweighed by the part of you that isn't. You can never fit in on Earth," Gabriel said as gently as he could. He was afraid he was undoing all of the progress he'd made in convincing Sam that nothing was wrong with him and what he was, but he needed his son to understand his thinking.

"But no one has to know any of that. I'm learning to control my powers. I can hide them," Sam insisted.

Gabriel sighed. "Alright, let's say you're right. You can hide your powers and I'll find a way to hide your wings. Let's say it'll turn out like that. There are still things you won't be able to hide. Like the fact that you're not going to age anymore. I think you've realized by now that you're not gonna die a natural death. You're not gonna grow old. Someone will notice that. You'll never be able to have a normal life. You won't be able to have a family down here without whoever you end up choosing figuring it out."

Sam shrugged. "I figured that wouldn't happen anyway. And even if some random person figures it out, they can't do anything to me. Nothing will hurt me."

"Nothing mortal will, but how about something supernatural? If you cross paths with a hunter, that could easily happen. We'll say it doesn't for a second though. You'll be isolated. You'll have to live the rest of your life alone, never able to get close to anyone. That's the best case scenario," Gabriel said.

"I'll have Dean. I won't leave him!" Sam swore. He didn't want to lose his dad either, so he hoped he'd stay, but he could not live without his brother.

"If you don't leave Dean, Dean will eventually end up leaving you. Dean will age, you won't. No matter how many times you may try to desperately save him, eventually, you'll fail," Gabriel said. He didn't want to hurt his son, but the kid had to understand what would happen if he stayed and why Gabriel wasn't going to let that happen.

Sam's stomach plummeted. He hadn't thought of that. He felt like an idiot for not thinking about it, but he didn't. Dean was going to die one day and he wasn't. How in the world was he supposed to live with that? He barely survived Dean's death when his deal ran out. Hell, one might even argue he didn't survive it, as that was when he completely self-destructed and started drinking demon blood. It was horrible. He couldn't do it again.

Gabriel put a hand on his son's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "I'm sorry, son. I wish things weren't like this."

"I won't do it. I won't go," Sam said in an almost crestfallen tone.

Gabriel decided that they'd table this conversation for now. Sam was too upset to talk about this any longer and Gabriel was not going to push any further while he was. "I think for right now, we should just get your brother and go home. We'll talk about this another times. Come on," he said before standing up.

Sam stood up without a word and let his father teleport him away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Raphael was in his office enjoying the peace and quiet. Heaven's halls were getting less and less of that lately. Angels were turning against Michael and towards Lucifer, which was causing Michael to become unhinged and spent his time raging at everyone in his path, which was becoming bothersome to Raphael even if he was also somewhat pleased by it.

Soon, Raphael heard a knock at the door. "Yes?"

The door opened and an angel Raphael recognized as Elijah walked in. "Sir."

"What do you have for me, Elijah?" Raphael asked.

"We've lost another garrison. Ezekiel and his men have defected to Lucifer," Elijah said.

"Hmm. I would've thought Ezekiel would've been harder to turn," Raphael commented.

"Many have turned quickly. With all due respect, I think many have become concerned about Archangel Michael. He is acting a bit questionable," Elijah said carefully.

Raphael rolled his eyes. "Do not bother censoring yourself here, brother. Michael has turned into an unhinged lunatic. While that's annoying, it works for me."

"So I can assume we are no longer following Michael, sir?" Elijah asked. He knew eventually this would happen. He always knew that Archangel Raphael served himself. That was why Elijah and a few others were recruited to secretly follow him. Raphael only followed Michael because it served him and would change tactics when it stopped serving him.

Raphael smirked. "I've attempted to make Michael see reason, but he refuses, which I am now glad for. It is to my advantage."

"May I ask, sir, how it serves you?" Elijah asked. He was unsure what benefits this situation had. At the end of the day, Raphael would still be serving someone.

"It is simple, brother. Michael and Lucifer are fixated on each other. Other than Michael ranting at me, they aren't paying me any attention," Raphael said.

"But neither are the others. They are all either siding with Michael or Lucifer. I'm not sure how that helps you."

"It keeps them busy while I take what I want. Sam Winchester."

Elijah frowned in confusion. "Your plan is to kill the abomination before Michael can? How does that help you?"

Raphael glared at him. "Don't be an idiot, Elijah. Why would I kill something so valuable? Do you any idea how powerful the son of an archangel would be. No, you don't. Neither do I, but I plan to find out. Nephilim themselves are powerful. I can only imagine how much more so one sired by an archangel could be. I plan to use every bit of his power for myself."

"To take control," Elijah realized.

Raphael smirked once more. Michael and Lucifer will kill each other eventually. Whoever is left standing I can take care of with the boy."

"But how will you get him? He's been under Gabriel's and Lucifer's influence. How can you possibly get his loyalty and trust?"

"I don't need either if I have leverage and I will get leverage," Raphael said with a smile. He had a tentative plan. He wasn't entirely sure how to carry it out yet, but he had a plan to gain control of his newly discovered nephew. All he needed was Dean Winchester.


	68. Chapter 68

Dean sat in the living room with Gabriel watching a movie. Sam wasn't with them. For the last couple of days, Sam had taken to holing up in his room, and when he did come out, he was snippy. Well, with Gabriel anyway.

Sam had been pretty upset after Gabriel told him about the possibility of the two of them returning to Heaven if Lucifer's plan worked and he was taking it out on Gabriel. Dean could tell that the archangel was getting fed up with it. He was trying to be understanding, but he was starting to get pissed at the childish attitude.

Gabriel muted the TV after the movie ended. "How about you go get your brother and then we'll have dinner?"

"I don't think he's going to want to eat," Dean said.

"I don't care," Gabriel said shortly. He was getting very sick of his son's attitude. He understood that Sam was upset by the prospect of leaving Dean behind and Gabriel had taken that into account over the last few days, but he'd had enough. Sam was acting like a petulant child. "You tell him to get out here or I come in and drag his ass out myself!"

"Got it," Dean said as he stood up. Yep, Gabriel had reached his limit and Dean couldn't blame him. Sam was acting like a little brat.

Dean made his way to Sam's room and stood in the doorway. He saw his brother laying on his side reading a book.

"I'm not hungry," Sam said without looking up.

Dean walked in and shut the door. "You know; you're being a dick."

Sam sat up and stared at his brother in disbelief. "What?"

"You heard me. You're being a dick," Dean repeated.

"I would think you'd be on my side. What? Do you want me to go?"

"Of course not! You know I don't want you to go. I've tried to think of anything I could to prevent it," Dean said sadly. He had done everything in his power to think of some way for Sam to exist here without it possibly hurting him, but he couldn't.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me that you and my father had discussed me leaving forever?" Sam asked. He got why his father hadn't told him. He knew he'd be pissed and refuse to do it. But why hadn't Dean told him. It could only be helpful to both of them for him to know.

"I considered it. It would drive a wedge between you and Gabriel, cause problems between you, and maybe that would help make you stay. I certainly would've done it a few months ago. But it wouldn't be fair. It's not Gabriel's fault that this is happening. He's not doing it to be a dick. He's looking out for you," Dean said. He realized right after their last conversation about it that he couldn't blame Gabriel for this, no matter how much he wanted to. Sam was what he was, and that just wouldn't be accepted by the world. They'd crucify him if they found out.

"Well, it's my decision, not his!" Sam bit out.

"Yeah, but you'd make the wrong one," Dean retorted.

"So you do want me to go?" he asked.

"No, but I don't really see any other choice. You won't have a good life here," Dean said. It had been very hard to accept, but he had started to realize that Gabriel was right. He was going to have to let Sam go so he could have the life he deserved.

"And you think I will in Heaven?" Sam asked as if the idea were ridiculous.

"It gets its name for a reason, right? Look, at least in Heaven, they can understand you, and we've found out that a lot of them will accept you. You hear Cas when he checks in. More and more are siding with us," Dean said.

"I don't care. I'm not going to live without you. That's what I'd have to do. Angels don't normally come down here, Dean. They've only been doing it because of the apocalypse. I'd probably never get to see you again," Sam said. He couldn't do this. He couldn't live without his brother. Why couldn't Dean see that?

"You're going to have to let me go eventually anyway. Unlike you, I am fully human. I won't live forever," Dean said.

Sam flinched. That had been in his head the last few days too. It was why he was avoiding Dean. With Gabriel, it was because he was pissed. With Dean, it was fear.

"Before you suggest just staying until I die, I don't want that. I don't want you stopping the next several decades of your life, providing I live that long, for me. Do you know what it would be like, Sam? We've been in this house for months, only going out to Gabriel's other realities occasionally. Sometimes it feels like I'm climbing the walls. That's what it would be like for years for you. You'd have to hide forever, especially if we can't find a way to hide those wings," Dean explained.

"I don't care," Sam said simply. Yeah, that would be pretty unpleasant, as he wasn't exactly fond of it now, but he'd live with it to be with Dean.

"I do. I don't want your life to be like that. You don't either. You'd resent it eventually, just like you did the hunting life," Dean said.

"I wouldn't," Dean insisted.

Dean sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to convince his brother this was for the best. He'd have to try again later because he wasn't going to let his brother sacrifice himself. He would do what he had to do to make his brother see it was for the best that he go, but not tonight. "Okay, we'll drop this for now. But you gotta stop being such an ass to Gabriel. He may be pushing the idea, but it's not his fault that it's necessary. He's trying to protect you. And if you think acting like a brat is gonna change his mind on it, you're wrong. You can push him all you want, he won't back off."

Sam knew that much was true. His father didn't give up, especially with him. All he was really doing was pissing the archangel off. Sam also knew he wasn't being fair to Gabriel. Dean was right, it wasn't his fault. He was just looking out for him, even if he hated the way he did it. "Okay, you're right."

"Obviously. Now, let's go eat," Dean said before getting up and heading for the door.

Sam followed his brother out into the kitchen. Gabriel was already seated and dinner was on the table.

"Sweet! Pot roast," Dean said happily before sitting down.

Sam sat down too, but looked at his father instead of going for the food. "I'm sorry."

Gabriel offered his son a small smile. "I understand you're upset, Sam, and your apology is accepted."

"It doesn't mean I'm not going to fight you when the time comes. I won't go," Sam said stubbornly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Come on, let's eat," Gabriel said.

Sam nodded and started digging into the food.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Raphael was once again in his office with his lieutenant Elijah. "Anything new to report."

"No, that part is already done. I had Castiel followed one day, so I have a general location. Once I dip into the protections Gabriel placed around them, I can get an exact location and then I can destroy the protections. Unfortunately, I would alert Gabriel immediately. I need to find a way to get him away from the Winchesters," Raphael said. He supposed he could take Gabriel on. He was sure his brother would be no match for him, but then Michael and Lucifer would also be alerted and he wouldn't allow that.

"We have to trick him."

"Yes, and tricking Gabriel will not be easy," Raphael said. If there was one thing Gabriel was good at, it was tricks. He had to think of something very convincing to convince Gabriel.

"Perhaps you could contact him and convince him that you are considering switching sides. You could meet with him and I'll go in with a team," Elijah suggested.

Raphael chuckled. "Gabriel may be weak compared to any other archangel, but he's not stupid. He knows better than to think that would ever happen? However, you are different. No one outside of myself and the others you command know you work directly for me. Perhaps you can persuade Castiel that you could be convinced to join Lucifer should you hear from Gabriel himself. He wouldn't be stupid enough to take you to his residence and place the Winchesters at risk. He'd be forced to meet you elsewhere. And convince a few others still considering to accompany you. It would be more believable then. You keep him busy until I have Dean Winchester."

"But, sir, that would be suicide," Elijah said. The second Gabriel realized he'd been tricked, and no doubt he would as soon as the protections from his power was breached, he'd know they betrayed him and he'd kill them all. There was nothing worse than the wrath of an archangel. Well, except for the wrath of God.

"I have faith that you can save yourself, Elijah. You are good at getting out of messes. As for the others, sacrifices are a part of war. Do it," Raphael ordered.

"Yes sir," he said before heading for the door.


	69. Chapter 69

Gabriel, Sam, and Dean all sat around the living room watching a horror movie involving the devil, which they all found more hilarious than scary, as they all knew the devil and knew this portrayal was as far from the truth as possible. "I wonder what Lucifer would think of this crap."

Gabriel laughed. "I've always wondered what he would think of what people think he is. I mean kids dress up in red horns every year for Halloween and call themselves the devil. I'm not sure if he would be insulted or amused by it."

"Honestly, I find almost all these horror movies involving the supernatural to be hilarious. These people know nothing about what these things are really like," Dean said before grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl in his hand and shoving it into his mouth.

Just then, Castiel appeared in front of them.

Dean started choking on his popcorn from the surprise. "Come on, Cas! Would it kill you to warn us before you do that?"

"How are you not used to this by now?" Sam asked with a chuckle.

"Hey, Bro. I'm assuming you're not just here for a visit," Gabriel said.

"You are correct, Brother. I bring news," Castiel said.

"Michael?" Gabriel asked nervously.

"No, everything is the same with Michael. He is angry and becoming more and more so every moment. He is not why I'm here though. We have made considerable progress in gaining support. Three garrisons have joined us since we last spoke. We have the possibility of gaining more support with your help," Castiel said.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.

"A group of angels are unsure of what to do. They are close to making a decision, but they require more assurance to switch sides. They want to speak with you," Castiel explained.

"Why him? Lucifer's the one looking for control of your world. Let him deal with it," Dean said.

"Yes, but Gabriel is the one who created a child with a human. They need him to make them understand. Plus, as I have said before, they have more faith in Gabriel than Lucifer. They will believe him more," Castiel said.

Gabriel thought about it for a minute. It wasn't an unreasonable request. His brothers were being asked to rebel for him and his son. The least he could do was explain himself to them. "Alright, I'll meet with them."

"Dad, are you sure about this? It could be a trap," Sam said. He had a bad feeling about this meeting. Something just felt off to him.

"No, Sam, there is no purpose in that. This is a very small fraction. They would not stand a chance against an archangel. For them to stand even a chance, they would need thousands, and even, the odds would be severely against them without another archangel with them," Castiel explained.

"Yeah, but what if they have another archangel? What if Michael planned this to get to him?" Sam asked.

"I don't believe that. I know many of these angels personally. They would not do such a thing," Castiel assured his nephew.

"I'll be fine, son. Don't worry," Gabriel said before standing up.

"Where do you wish to do this?" Castiel asked.

"One of my Pagan apartments. The one I took you to after you had Bobby pray to me will work. I'll expand it a little to fit so many angels," Gabriel said. Castiel had said it was a small fraction, but a small fraction for angels could mean anything. There were thousands of angels.

Sam stood up from his spot on the couch. "Dad…"

"I'll be fine," Gabriel tried to assure him.

"Let me come with you then," Sam pleaded. Even as he asked the question though, he knew he would be denied.

Gabriel sent him a look as though to say, 'you can't be serious'. "Kid, you know better than that one."

"I can help," Sam said.

"Absolutely not. You're staying right here. And you will not attempt to follow me once I leave either, is that understood?" Gabriel asked.

Sam blushed slightly. That thought had crossed his mind for a split second. He just really didn't like this. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

"Answer me please, Sam," Gabriel said in a firm tone.

Sam sighed. "Yeah, I understand."

"It'll be fine," Gabriel promised.

"I should go inform everyone," Castiel said before disappearing.

"I'll be back soon, boys," Gabriel said.

"At least be careful," Sam requested.

Gabriel placed a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed it lovingly. "I promise," he said before disappearing.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Raphael was standing just outside the wards Gabriel set up at his home. He could see the small house from where he was standing. He was now just waiting for Elijah before he started preparing to attack it.

Speaking of, at that moment, Elijah appeared right next to him. "Castiel just return and gave word that Gabriel agreed to a meeting. We leave within the hour."

A smile made its way to Raphael's face. "Good. Return to Heaven and give the team word that we are proceeding as planned."

"Sir, there is still a problem. Gabriel will know the second his wards are breeched. He may even know as you are trying to break them. You won't have enough time to get Winchester," Elijah said.

Raphael chuckled. "I have a way of keeping Gabriel in the dark until I'm done."

"What way?" Elijah asked curiously.

"By creating my own wards outside of his. It'll keep him from learning that I've broken his," Raphael said.

Elijah relaxed slightly. Perhaps that meant he wouldn't be murdered by the youngest archangel. He wouldn't know what happened until the meeting was over and he returned home.

Raphael saw the other angel's relief and smirked, knowing he was about to ruin it. "Of course, I don't know how well those wards will hold up with those up when a fight breaks out with our little nephew, and they will certainly fall when I return to Heaven, but it gives us some time at least."

Elijah became uneasy again, but said nothing about it. "So when do you plan to move."

"I'll start putting the wards up now. We'll move in around the same time as your meeting with Gabriel. Now return to Heaven," Raphael instructed.

He nodded and flew away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam was pacing the living room floor. He really didn't like this. He tried to tell himself that everything would be okay, but deep down, he had the feeling that something was going to go wrong. Something just did not seem right with this meeting his father was going to.

Dean, who was sitting on the couch, was going nuts watching his brother pace like this. "Dude, calm down. I'm sure things will be fine. Gabriel can take care of himself."

Sam stopped, looked at his brother, and shook his head. "Something is going to happen, Dean. I can just feel it.

Dean stood up. "You're not going after him." It was not a question, but a demand. He could tell that his brother was antsy and wanted to go after Gabriel. There was no way Dean was going to let him. If this did end badly like Sam seemed to think, he was not going to lose his brother as well as Gabriel.

Sam sighed. "No. I want to, but I won't. I promised that I wouldn't. I won't break another promise."

"Good. Look, your mind is probably just thinking of all the possible ways for this to go wrong. I'm sure it's just your imagination. It'll be okay," Dean assured his brother.

Sam nodded, but he wasn't at all convinced.

"Okay. Now, I'm gonna get some pie, and since you're not having the best night, I'll even share my pie with you," Dean said with a smile.

Sam rolled his eyes and watched his brother leave the room. Just as he did though, he felt something. He wasn't sure what it was he was feeling. It was almost like when someone tries to push their way into your house as you attempt to shut the door in their face.

Sam rubbed his eyes. "What the hell is going on? Am I going freaking insane?"

"You say something, Sammy?!" Dean yelled from the kitchen.

"No, nothing!" Sam yelled back before surveying the living room, like he expected something to pop out at him. Then all of a sudden, he felt Grace from several angels. Two men in suits appeared directly in front of him. He turned around to find two more behind him.

Just then a crash came from the kitchen followed by Dean's voice. "Sammy!"

It was like a signal for all hell to break loose. Sam immediately made a move towards the two angels blocking his way to the kitchen. He punched one of them in the face, sending him across the room and into the dining room table, which broke instantly.

The next thing Sam knew, he himself had been sent flying backwards into the wall from a shot of telekinesis. He got up moments later though without so much as a scratch on him. He was just in time too as two angels charged him. He grabbed one of them by the suit coat and was able to effortlessly lift him into the air as if he was weightless and then he tossed him like a ragdoll to the other side of the room.

One of the other angels grabbed Sam in a chokehold and started squeezing. However, it seemed Sam was stronger than these angels, as he managed to pry the hand holding off. He then let go of his wrist and grabbed by the shirt before bringing his fee hand to the angel's forehead. He didn't want to do it, but he was fighting for his life and his brother. No matter how much stronger he appeared to be than them, these guys weren't going to give up.

Sam concentrated his Grace and watched as the angel screamed and then his vessel was engulfed in white light. Then he fell to the floor. There were winged shaped burn marks scorched into the floor.

The three remaining angels seemed shocked at what had just happened to their fallen brother, but soon got over it and two of them came at him.

Sam felt fatigue start to creep over him, but he refused to allow it to take over. He didn't have the luxury of recharging. Instead, he repeated the process with the two angels coming at him, placing a hand on each of their heads and smiting them in moments.

The final angel retreated, apparently deciding that whatever mission he was on was not worth dying over.

Sam staggered towards the kitchen. He could barely walk as exhaustion threatened to make him keel over any second, but it was not over. He had to keep going.

When he got to the kitchen, Sam saw his brother lying unconscious with two angels standing over him. "Dean!"

Before Sam could even try to help his brother, another angel, one with a dark skin vessel appeared in front of him and started clapping. "Excellent! You're more powerful than even I imagined!"

The angel's name popped into Sam's head moments after he appeared. Raphael. He was in the presence of one of the two archangels that he knew were a danger to him, and he got the feeling he was going to be able to take this angel on like he had the last three. But that sure as hell didn't mean he wouldn't try.

Sam made a move to throw a punch at Raphael, but the next thing he knew, the archangel waved his hand and he was sent across the room and into the wall. He tried to get up again, but his body wasn't cooperating well. He could barely lift any of his limbs.

Raphael approached Sam with a gloating smile on his face. "You may be powerful, Nephew, but I don't think you have what it takes to come at someone like me. Even if you did, you just smote three angels. Your Grace and your human body need to recharge before you can even attempt another fight.

"Kill me then. That's what you came here for. Just do it and leave my brother alone," Sam slurred in a very tired voice.

Raphael laughed. "That's why you think I'm here? I didn't even come here for you, Sam. Well, actually, I did, but it's your so-called brother we came to take, not you."

"Why?" Sam asked.

Instead of answering, Raphael turned to his men. "Take him out of here."

"No," Sam said as he attempted to get up again. One firm hold on his shoulder by Raphael stopped his efforts. The archangel was strong and Sam had no strength at this moment. He could do nothing but watch as his brother was teleported away by the two angels.

Raphael removed his hand from Sam's shoulder. "Well, now that that is taken care of, you and I should get down to business, before you pass out from exhaustion."

"Where'd you take him?" Sam demanded to know.

"Somewhere neither you or Gabriel will find," Raphael said with a smirk.

"What do you want?" Sam asked. Raphael said they had business to discuss. That meant he wanted something from him. He was using Dean as bait.

Raphael knelt down in front of Sam. "I want you, Nephew. Your power is even beyond the level I expected after such a short time and I have the feeling you are far from developed. Unlike my brother, Michael, I don't waste talent. You have so much power. I want that power."

"You wanna use me," Sam realized. Raphael had taken Dean to get him to fall in line with whatever the archangel wanted him for.

Raphael smiled. "No one could accuse you of being an idiot. See, Michael and Lucifer are busy battling each other for control of Heaven, but neither of them will have it. I will take control with your help."

"How would that even work? You said yourself that I'm not as strong as an archangel," Sam said. This couldn't be happening. He thought the worst these guys could do was kill him, but now he had an angel that wanted to use him to control Heaven, and he got the feeling that Raphael in charge would be back, both for Heaven and earth.

"Not yet, but with work, you could become pretty damn close," Raphael said.

"No. I won't do that," Sam swore.

Raphael shrugged uncaringly. "Well, if you don't, who knows what will happen to your brother. I could kill him, or I could give him back to the demons and make sure he's placed back on the rack."

Sam shuddered at the very thought. He didn't know much about his brother's time in hell, but he did know that it was so hard that it eventually broke him, and that was not an easy thing to do. He couldn't let Dean go back there.

Raphael stood up. "I'll leave and give you time to think of what I've said. Oh, but first, when your father returns from the meeting I arranged to keep him busy and you explain what happened here, you will leave me and our conversation out of it. You'll let him think Michael was responsible. If you don't, I will put your brother on the rack," he promised before disappearing.

Sam slumped the rest of the way to the floor and seconds later, his exhaustion finally claimed him.


	70. Chapter 70

Gabriel stood in his old apartment with about fifty of his younger siblings as he attempted to convince them to jump ship. He wasn't sure how well it was going so far. He was asking a lot of them. He was asking them to commit one the biggest crimes an angel could. To disobey. He was also asking them to support him after he broke the rule of creating a child with a human. It was yet another big one for angels. He couldn't really blame them for being hesitant.

"You're asking a lot of us here, Brother. Why should we follow you and Lucifer instead of our rightful leader?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, I know what I'm asking, but is it any better to follow Michael? You now know he's been less than truthful. You know he intentionally organized Lucifer's release with the intention of starting the apocalypse and lied to you all about it," Gabriel pointed out.

"He's right about that," one of the other angels said.

"But maybe it's God's will. He wrote that plan down," another argued.

"Whether it is or it isn't, Michael wasn't following our father's word when he started it. That was his doing alone," Castiel spoke.

"It's also immaterial. For one, the possibility of it happening now is zero and it's not why you're here. I was simply making a point. Michael is no more trustworthy than you believe us to be," Gabriel said.

"That still doesn't mean that we should follow you. Your judgment is just as questionable. You created an abomination," Elijah said.

Gabriel stiffened and nearly flung the angel across the room. "I am doing my best to understand your position, but call my son that name again and you will see that my wrath is just as strong as Michael's!"

The rest of them became a bit nervous at Gabriel's hard tone. Finally, one hesitantly raised his hand to speak. "I…I don't think any of us want to offend, but we were all taught that Nephilim are not meant to exist. Now you've created one and we are unsure of how to respond. Perhaps if we could see him."

Gabriel shook his head immediately. "Absolutely not. I understand your position, but I will not risk my son's life with any of you. As you said, you were all taught to hate his kind."

"With all due respect, sir, if you won't even allow us to see the boy, how can we trust that his existence isn't a danger to us and to Heaven? How can you possibly expect us to rebel without that knowledge?" another angel asked.

Another nodded his agreement. "Rebellion is not to be taken lightly. Lucifer rebelled and spent thousands of years in Hell's cage."

"This isn't the same. You are not disobeying God or even Heaven. You are simply switching your allegiances from one archangel or another," Castiel said.

"Aren't we disobeying God? He made the rules. He declared Nephilim as forbidden."

Gabriel was about to speak when he felt something. He felt his shields disappear. The wards around his home were gone. Sam and Dean were in trouble.

Castiel watched as Gabriel's face distorted with horror and fear. "Brother, what is it?"

"My wards have fallen! This was a trap!" Gabriel exclaimed.

Most of the angels looked both confused and a little put out by the accusation. Only Elijah appeared nervous as he realized that it was over he might just be killed for this. They might all be.

Gabriel glared scathingly at the other angels in the room. "You idiots thought you could keep me busy while my son was attacked?!"

"What?" one asked in confusion.

"We've come in here in good faith," said another.

"What does he mean?"

Gabriel had half a mind to smite every last one of them, regardless of who was or wasn't involved, but even the two seconds it would take to do it was too much time that wasn't spent getting to his son. So, without another word, he teleported out.

Castiel stayed behind an extra second. He turned and glared at the others. "Let me make this clear. Anybody that used this meeting as a ploy to help Michael harm Sam will suffer for it," he swore before teleporting himself.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel arrived in his living room seconds later. The place was a mess. The walls and some of the furniture was busted up and there were three dead angels on the floor. After looking around another second, he saw his son laying on the ground by the broken dining room table.

Gabriel immediately rushed over and knelt down beside his son, placing a hand on his arm. "Sam! Sam, are you okay?"

Sam groaned a little and tried opening his eyes, but he found he could barely lift his eyelids. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep for days, but at the same time, he knew he needed to get up.

"Son, come on, wake up for me," Gabriel said gently.

"Dad," Sam slurred in an almost inaudible tone.

"Yeah, that's right. Can you open your eyes?" Gabriel asked.

"Can't. So tired," Sam said groggily.

Just then, Castiel appeared. He immediately rushed over. "Sam! Is he okay."

"I think so, but he's really out of it," Gabriel said. He had a feeling he knew at least part of what happened. The three angels on the floor had clearly been smote. Sam must have done it defending himself and Dean. By doing so, he'd exhausted himself. "Cas, check the rest of the house and try to find Dean."

Sam let out a sob when he heard his brother's name. Even in his barely lucid state, he couldn't forget what happened to his brother. "Dean's gone."

"What do you mean, he's gone, Sam? What happened?" Gabriel asked.

"I'm so sorry. Couldn't stop them," Sam cried.

"No, Sam, this is not your fault. You were attacked, and you fought well. You took down three of them," Gabriel said.

"Didn't wanna kill them. Had to."

"I know. You have nothing to be sorry for," Gabriel assured him.

"Sam do you know who did this?" Castiel asked. He knew the obvious answer was Michael, but it didn't really make sense. Michael would've killed Sam if he found him, and in Sam's current state, he would've been able to do so easily.

Sam almost uttered Raphael's name, but the he remembered Raphael's threat right before he left. "Michael."

Castiel still couldn't see the sense in it and felt that there was more to the story, but he knew now wasn't the time to question Sam further. "Brother, we can't stay here. They know where you live."

Gabriel nodded and snapped his fingers. To anyone else, it would have appeared as if they didn't go anywhere, as they appeared to be in the same house, the only difference being that the house was now intact again, but they were really in Gabriel's alternate reality where they had a duplicate of the house.

Gabriel grabbed ahold of his son and teleported again, this time appearing in his son's bedroom with Sam laying on the bed.

Sam felt the comfort of his bed and immediately made a very poor attempt to try to get up. He had to get up. He had to help Dean.

Gabriel easily kept his son in place. "No, son, you're not getting up right now. You need to sleep."

"No. Gotta help Dean," Sam protested lightly.

Gabriel shook his head. "No, you need to sleep right now. You're exhausted."

"But…"

"I promise you we will find your brother, Sam, but you cannot help your brother in this condition. Now, you are going to sleep even if I have to put you to sleep. Do you understand me?" Gabriel asked.

Sam sighed and stopped fighting. It wasn't long before his breathing labored and he was asleep once more.

Gabriel caroused Sam's hair. "I'm so sorry, son. I promise you I'm going to fix this."

Gabriel stayed there for a few minutes, not wanting to leave his son's side and then quietly left the room. He needed to do as he just promised. He needed to fix this situation and get Dean back.

Gabriel found Castiel waiting right where he left him, by the dining room table. "Whose idea was that farce?"

"I don't know. Elijah approached me, but that doesn't mean he was responsible," Castiel said.

"Someone in that damn meeting knew what was going on!" Gabriel growled.

"We'll find out who it was. I don't understand how they even knew where you were. You've concealed yourself well," Castiel said.

"Isn't it obvious? You or Lucifer were followed! Then you allowed yourself to be tricked!" Gabriel said with a glare. He knew deep down this wasn't really Castiel's fault, but he was pissed and he needed someone to take it out on.

Castiel sighed. He knew if anyone was followed, it was him. Lucifer would've been more careful, like he should've been. Gabriel was right, this was his fault, in more than one way. "I'm sorry. We'll get Dean back. I will apprise Lucifer of what has happened and he will come up with a way of rescuing Dean."

Gabriel shook his head. "No. All bets are off now. Michael just declared war. He's mine now."

"No, Gabriel, you can't do that. I know you're angry, but…"

"You think?!" Gabriel practically screamed. Then he remembered his son was sleeping in the next room and lowered his voice. The fury in his voice was just as evident though. "He ambushed my house and attacked my kids?!" Yes, he said his kids, because Dean had become just as much of a son to him as Sam was. That was why he would do whatever it took to save him and make those responsible pay.

"I know, brother, but you are so angry that you can't handle this clearly right now. Ambushing Heaven and fighting Michael won't help Dean right now. At best, it would get several killed, maybe even yourself. That leaves Sam without his father and brother," Castiel tried to reason. He understood his brother's anger. He was angry too. In his mind, Dean was just as much his family as Sam and he was angry for both of them. Whoever did this to them, needed to pay.

Despite his anger, Gabriel could see what Castiel was saying, but he couldn't just sit back while his family suffered. "What do you want me to do, Castiel? I will allow Michael to hurt Dean or for Sam to destroy himself over worry! And I certainly won't let Michael get away with this!"

"I am not suggesting that. I am suggesting that you not barge into Heaven unprepared and attack Michael. Let me go speak with Lucifer. We should at least see if we can find him before attempting any kind of attack," Castiel said.

"Fine, but I won't sit here forever. Find him soon or I handle it my way," Gabriel warned.

Castiel nodded and quickly left.


	71. Chapter 71

Lucifer had had the day from Hell, and that was saying quite a lot given that he actually lived in Hell for several thousand years. First, he'd had to spend a lot of time today with his increasingly erratic older brother. Running Heaven was not all that much different than than running human businesses, only it was much more taxing. It involved meetings to make sure everything stayed afloat and that things were going as they should. As he was now a fully reinstated archangel and also had support from a good chunk of Heaven, he had to attend those meetings, much to Michael's dismay. The meetings today mostly consisted of Michael ranting about how evil Lucifer was and how he would not let him destroy everything, which would've given Lucifer a headache if it were possible.

As if that weren't enough, Lucifer now had dozens of his brothers in his office, all looking and sounding anxious, scared, and angry. They were all talking over each other as they tried to tell him what their problem was.

"Enough!" Lucifer finally yelled, silencing all of them. "Thank you. Last I knew none of you were fledglings or idiotic mud monkeys! Show some decorum," he said before pointing to one of them. "Jonah, tell me what has you all in this state."

"We went there in good faith, to try to come to some kind of conclusion on who to follow," Jonah said.

"You're speaking of the meeting you all attended with Castiel and Gabriel?" Lucifer asked for clarification. He'd been informed of the meeting. He'd thought it was a good idea. These angels were already open to a change in leadership and a talk with Gabriel could possibly turn the tide. He'd been very encouraged by it.

"Yes, and then we were accused of betrayal," Jonah said with a scowl.

"We could've been killed. We still could be. There is an archangel looking for some kind of retribution. If he's right and this was an ambush I had no part of it. I protest to being dragged into it!" another angel, Simeon said irritably.

"You accuse us of some sinister conspiracy? How dare you?!" another asked. Several others started yelling their own protests.

"Alright, that's enough," Lucifer said loudly.

"Sir, someone clearly set us up! We could've been killed!"

"One of you needs to tell me exactly what happened," Lucifer said firmly. Obviously Gabriel had been left with the impression that he'd been betrayed. Something must have happened for him to get that impression. Was it Sam? Had something happened to his nephew?

"We don't know. Archangel Gabriel suddenly got angry. He accused us of trying to distract him while his home was attacked. Castiel reinforced the belief," Jonah said.

"If anyone is guilty, it is Elijah. This meeting was his idea. He must be the one that deceived us."

"Just then, there was a knock at the door and Castiel burst in. "Brother, we must talk."

"Everyone out. You all have nothing to fear at this moment," Lucifer promised. He didn't want to leave them in fear. He wasn't sure what happened, but given their reactions, he didn't believe anyone in the room was responsible.

None of them looked pleased about being kicked out, but none would challenge an archangel.

Castiel waited for the last of them to leave and then shut the door.

"What the hell is going on, Castiel. Was Sam attacked?" Lucifer demanded to know.

Castiel nodded grimly. "Yes. We were in the middle of the meeting when Gabriel realized his wards had been broken. Sam is alright, aside from severe exhaustion. He had killed three angels that attacked him.

Lucifer was relieved to hear his nephew was okay and pleased to hear how well he'd defended himself. Angels were considered one of the more powerful things in existence. If Sam took out three, he was extremely powerful. "So then everything turned out alright then? Sam was able to hold them off until you arrived.

Castiel shook his head. "No, it didn't turn out alright. Sam is fine, but they took Dean."

"What? Why would they do that?" Lucifer asked confused. Why would they leave Sam and go after the human. He supposed Michael might want his vessel, but he'd suspended all efforts to the apocalypse in order to go after Sam.

"I don't know. Sam couldn't tell us a lot. He was really out of it," Castiel said.

"Damn it. Alright, we have to find him," Lucifer said. Honestly, he really couldn't care less about the Winchester kid. To him, he was just another human, but he knew the kid was important to Gabriel and Sam and that meant Lucifer would do what he could to retrieve him.

Castiel nodded. "I'm not convinced that it was Michael who did this." Despite what Sam said, it still didn't make any sense. Michael would've gone after Sam. He was the one the archangel was targeting right now. He wanted him dead. But whoever did this, didn't go after Sam. They didn't even appear to make a decent attempt at killing him. They just took Dean. It just didn't seem likely that it was Michael.

"Well, it certainly wasn't personally. Michael hasn't left Heaven all day. Not only did I spend a good chunk of the day with him, but I've been watching him closely since I returned," Lucifer told him.

"Right. You had those meetings with Michael and Raphael today," Castiel recalled. It was actually why he pushed for the meeting with Gabriel to happen today. He knew Michael would be kept busy.

"Yeah. Technically, he would've been able to go afterwards, but like I said, I've been watching him. I'd know if he left," Lucifer said.

"I suppose he could've just ordered those angels to attack, but if he were to discover Sam's location, wouldn't he go himself?" Castiel asked. He knew Michael had no problem delegating responsibilities, but he would've considered Sam something he had to handle personally.

Lucifer nodded. "I'd think so. Plus, he doesn't have what humans call a 'poker face'. He would've let something slip if he knew where Sam was. Was Sam able to say anything about who was responsible?"

"He said it was Michael."

Lucifer didn't miss the skepticism in the younger angel's voice. "You think he's lying."

"I don't know. He could be or he could just be confused. He was very exhausted. Although, he did seem clear on the things he did say," Castiel said.

"Why would Sam lie? What purpose could that possibly serve? He lies, we don't have the information to bring his brother back," Lucifer said.

"He must think somehow that lying is in Dean's best interests," Castiel said. Sam was wrong of course. No matter what Sam might be thinking, they could help Dean better with the truth. However, Sam didn't think clearly all the time when he believed someone he loved was in trouble.

"Does Gabriel know about your theory?" Lucifer said.

"No. He's extremely angry and overprotective right now. He wouldn't respond well to it," Castiel said. He knew Gabriel had no delusions that his son was perfect, but he wasn't gonna hear a word about Sam lying right now.

"Well, after smiting three angels, Sam's probably going to be out for a day or two, so it really doesn't matter right now. We can try to reason with him when he wakes up. Hopefully, he'll be able to think more clearly then," Lucifer said.

"We cannot wait days to look for Dean," Castiel protected.

"I don't intend to. I want you to find and contain Elijah. One of the others told me that meeting was his idea, which means he most likely was involved," Lucifer said.

Castiel nodded. "Will you speak with Michael about this?"

Lucifer shook his head. "Not yet. If Michael had nothing to do with this, I'm not sure I want him finding out about it just yet. Who knows what he'd do with the information? That's why I want you to gather the other angels from that meeting and explain to them that they need to keep quiet."

"Of course. If it wasn't Michael…"

"Then we both know who it was," Lucifer finished for him.

Castiel stared at his brother for a minute before walking out of the office without another word.


	72. Chapter 72

Sam woke up in his bed, presumably the next day. It felt like he'd been asleep long enough for it to be the next day anyway. He was still really tired though. He felt like he could sleep another eight hours at least. But he couldn't let that happen. He had to get up and find out what was happening with Dean.

Sam got up and slowly made his way out of the room. His whole body felt heavy. "Dad!" he called as he walked into the kitchen.

Gabriel walked into the room from the living room. "Sam, what are you doing awake? You need to sleep more." True, his son had been asleep for about fifteen hours at this point, but after the amount of energy he used to smite those angels, he needed more. That showed in his features too. There were bags under his eyes and he looked like he was barely keeping himself upright.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"Not yet, kid. Come on," Gabriel said before leading him over to the dining room table and helping him into a chair.

"How long has it been? What time is it?" Sam asked. He needed to know how long his brother had been gone.

"It's about two in the afternoon," Gabriel said.

Sam shuddered. His brother had been gone almost a whole day. Who the hell knew what Raphael had been doing to him in that time. He had to help him. He couldn't let Dean get hurt because of what he was.

"We're gonna find him," Gabriel promised.

Sam wasn't so sure of that, especially since his dad didn't know the truth and Sam couldn't tell him. His father was going to be focusing on Michael when it was Raphael that was responsible. That left Sam with only one foreseeable recourse. Giving in to Raphael. He hated the idea of helping Raphael conquer Heaven, but he knew if he didn't, Dean would be hurt.

"As long as you're up, you're gonna eat something," Gabriel said before snapping his fingers. A ham sandwich appeared in front of Sam, along with a glass of water.

"I'm not hungry," Sam said. He knew his stomach was empty and he should eat, but he had no appetite right now.

"Don't care. You haven't had anything to eat in almost a day. I want you to eat and then you need to get some more sleep," Gabriel said. He knew his son well enough to know that he would attempt to put taking care of himself on hold until Dean was found and that just wasn't acceptable. If Sam was going to refuse to look out for his own well-being, Gabriel would do it for him.

Sam sighed and picked up his sandwich. He didn't feel like arguing right now, especially knowing he'd lose, so he just did as he was told.

Just then, both mean noticed as Lucifer appeared in the room. Gabriel nodded to his brother. "Lucifer. I guess Castiel told you where we were."

"Yeah. I'm sorry," Lucifer said.

"I don't need your apology. I need you to find Dean," Gabriel said shortly.

"I'm looking, but it's highly unlikely that they took him to Heaven, and if they did, they're probably hiding him in one of the billion human Heavens. It's impossible to even begin to look there without narrowing it down," Lucifer explained.

"How about you start with one of those assholes that lured me to that damn meeting?!" Gabriel asked angrily.

"Most of those angels were innocent, Gabriel. They were there to hear you out. Only one of them betrayed you, Elijah," Lucifer said.

"Well, you can get him to tell you where Dean is, right?" Sam asked with a glimmer of hope in his voice. If Lucifer found this angel, maybe he could get the truth out of him and Sam wouldn't have to work with Raphael.

"If we find him, hopefully, but he appears to have left Heaven," Lucifer said before making his way over to the table and sitting down across from his nephew. "I need your help, Sam. I need you to tell me in detail what happened yesterday."

"Um, it happened a little while after Dad left with Cas. I was worried. I thought it was a trap, but I thought it was a trap for him, not us," Sam started.

Gabriel cringed. He felt horrible for not listening to his son's fears. He should've stayed. Dean would still be there if he'd stayed. He'd put his boys at risk.

"Dean went into the kitchen to get some pie when they attacked. At first, I just tried to fend them off, but I realized quickly that if I was going to stop them, I had to kill them, so I did. When I got to the kitchen, Dean was unconscious. They took him," Sam explained.

"Where was Michael?" Gabriel asked.

"He… He wasn't actually there," Sam said. He realized it wouldn't make sense for Michael to be there and then let him live. Michael wanted him dead. "One of them said they were there on his orders.

Lucifer could tell that Sam was lying. It wasn't obvious because Sam was a pretty good liar, but Lucifer was pretty good at spotting a lie. "That's all that happened."

"Yeah, and then I passed out. I...I couldn't do anything. I tried, but…"

"Hey, stop. This is not your fault," Gabriel said firmly as he squeezed his son's shoulder.

"Your father's right. You're not responsible for what happened last night. But you are responsible for lying to be about it," Lucifer finished in a firm tone.

"W...What?" Sam asked caught off guard.

Gabriel glared at his older brother. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You accusing my son of lying?"

"Yes," Lucifer said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not lying?" Sam denied.

"You are lying. I know it for several reasons, aside from the fact that I've made an art of finding out when someone is lying. Number one, I had the unfortunate pleasure of spending most of the day with Michael. He never gave away anything and Michael is a horrible liar. Number two, Michael would never send anyone else to handle a situation such as you. He would insist on being there personally. And the most important reason I know he had nothing to do with this, if he did have someone else come after you, he would've either had them kill you or brought to him. Maybe he would've taken Dean, maybe not, but you would not be sitting here right now," Lucifer said before looking to his brother. "And you know this too, Gabriel. You were just too angry and worried to think straight."

After hearing his brother's words, he did see the logic in them. If MIchael had come after Sam, personally or through others, Sam would've been the main target, not Dean. He should've realized that before, but Lucifer was right, he wasn't thinking straight. "Sam, look at me."

Sam made no move to comply, knowing he might crumble if he was forced to look at his father.

"Now!" Gabriel ordered in a slightly raised voice.

Sam reluctantly turned and raised his eyes to meet his father's.

"Did you lie to me?" Gabriel asked in a tone that demanded the truth or else.

"No," Sam lied once more. He came close to caving and he felt horrible for not doing so, as it had been so hard to get regain his dad's trust, but losing his father's trust was better than condemning his brother back to Hell. He just had to hope that if they found a way out of this, his father would forgive him.

Gabriel placed a hand on the table and leaned down over his son. "Listen to me, I know you're worried about your brother, but you need to tell me the truth right now! Did Michael do this?"

"Yes," Sam said softly.

Gabriel stood up. He knew his son was lying, but he wasn't going to admit it right now. He was too scared by what happened and what could still happen to his brother. "If you're done eating, you should go get some rest. You're still drained.

Sam didn't argue. He was very eager to get away from the two archangels, so he got up and headed out of the room.

Lucifer stood up. "Gabriel…"

"I know he's lying. He's afraid for his brother. Whoever did this scared the hell out of him," Gabriel said. Of course, that didn't get Sam off the hook for lying to him. They would be having a conversation when Sam finally admitted the truth. But he did understand why Sam would lie in this instance.

"Whoever? Come on, Gabriel, we both know who it was," Lucifer said.

Gabriel nodded. "If not Michael, it had to Raphael. Look, I'm going to let Sam sleep for now and I'll talk to him again when he's a hundred percent. I'm not going to go after him when he still can't think properly.

"Alright. We're still looking for Elijah. Hopefully we'll find him and can squeeze the truth out of him and I'll be watching Raphael. You need to watch Sam. The last time he lied, you did something stupid," Lucifer reminded his brother.

"Yes, I know. Just find Dean, Lucifer. I know he means nothing to you, but I love him just as much as I do Sam," Gabriel said.

If Lucifer was surprised to hear that, he didn't show it. He just nodded and left.


	73. Chapter 73

Lucifer was waiting in his office for Castiel, who was escorting one of their 'wonderful' brothers to him. It wasn't Elijah. They still hadn't located him, but it was someone Castiel seemed to think could lead them to Elijah, or at least give them some answers to what Raphael was up to.

There was a knock and seconds later, Castiel came in with another angel. Once they were both inside, Castiel shut the door behind them.

"Hello, Virgil. Have a seat," Lucifer said with an inviting smile and in a positive tone.

"I don't understand why I am here… sir," Virgil said. There was a pause before that last word and it seemed to be forced.

"Well, you're here because I need your help. It seems one of our brothers is missing and I really think it's important that we find him. We can't have lost siblings," Lucifer said, his smirk still present.

"I can't help you," Virgil said emotionlessly.

Lucifer chuckled and leaned forward in his chair. "I think you can. You see, Castiel tells me you pretty much live up Raphael's ass, and I know Elijah's right up there with you. So, you're gonna tell me where he is. Sit down!" His voice no longer held any kind of pleasantness. It was hard and demanding.

Virgil took a few steps forward and sat down in the chair in front of Lucifer's desk.

"Here's the deal, Brother. I am going to get my hands around the neck of someone involved in what happened to Dean Winchester. It's either you or it's Elijah. I'm really not partial one way or another to which one of you it is. In fact, I have you now, so I might as well just use you," Lucifer mused.

"Do what you want," Virgil said. He would be lying if he said he had no fear for the archangel, but his loyalty was to Raphael. It was him that he wanted to see prevail.

"Oh, I will, and maybe Gabriel will help me. You couldn't believe the aggression he has right now. You see, to Gabriel, you people took his son. He loved the human just as much as his own kid, who wasn't left in the best state either. So as you can imagine, his archangel wrath is in full effect, and from what I've gathered, he can be quite creative with his

punishments. Isn't that right, Brother?" He directed the last part to Castiel.

"Yes. I believe Dean once mentioned that he placed Sam in a time loop and forced him to watch Dean die over and over again," Casitel supplied.

"Ouch! And that's his own son. Can you imagine what he'd do to you, Virgil?" Lucifer asked.

"There are other things I've heard as well," Castiel stated. "He apparently caused a man to himself after conjuring up the ghost of a girl he'd victimized and I heard something about a researcher being killed by an alligator. Oh, and apparently someone was thrown down a wormhole.

Virgil couldn't help but release an involuntary flinch at the stories of the said to be kindest archangel.

Lucifer nodded. "Baby brother always knew how to dole out justice. It is his thing after all. But he's not perfect. He could still learn a thing or two from me, and as luck would have it, we have the perfect practice dummy right here. What do you say, Virgil?"

Virgil looked away wildly in fear. He was not used to this. He was the one that usually sparked fear. Well, with most angels under him, as he was considered the same as a hitman was to humans. But Lucifer was not under him, neither was Gabriel. They were archangels. They could do everything Lucifer eluded to.

"If you're looking for Raphael to suddenly come in and save you, keep waiting. He doesn't give a damn about you, any of you. That was evident by the three angels he sent to their deaths in his mission to kidnap Dean Winchester. Raphael doesn't even know what loyalty is, so yours is lost on him," Lucifer said.

"Elijah's hiding on Earth. I don't know specifically where, but it's in New York City," Virgil blurted out.

"Dean Winchester," Lucifer demanded.

"I really don't know," Virgil said.

"Well, we'll find out," Lucifer said before leaning forward and placing a hand on the angel's forehead to access the angel's memories. He could've done that before and ended this relatively easily, but he wanted this little bastard to suffer a little bit. This was nothing compared to what he intended to do to Elijah.

After finding nothing helpful in the angel's memories, Lucifer erased his memory of their entire conversation and sent him away before the disorientation wore off. "He really didn't know anything. He wasn't even there that night. "It makes sense. Raphael is smart. He knows some of you know that Virgil is loyal to him."

"So he would send those we didn't know about," Castiel finished.

"Exactly. I want you to take someone you trust and go get Elijah. You should be able to sense his Grace now that we've narrowed down his location," Lucifer said.

Castiel nodded. "I shall call you when we find him."

"No, that's not how this is going to go."

"You want us to bring him here?" Castiel asked surprised. That didn't seem like that best idea. Elijah being dragged back to Heaven would be a huge beacon to Raphael. It was risky enough with Virgil. This was not a good idea.

Lucifer smiled in a way that would remind anyone who'd forgotten that he was still the Devil. "No. I want you to drag him to the pit. I'll be waiting for you, by the rack."

Castiel's eyes widened in horror. "You… You're going to put him on the rack?"

"He's a traitor, Castiel, the worst kind too. Sam, at the age of twenty-six and as a human, is considered an adult, but at twenty-six as an angel, he'd be about the age of a toddler. That means that Elijah actively participated in the attack of a fledgling. Do you know what we would do to those who attacked fledglings?" Lucifer asked.

Castiel did know. He hadn't seen it, as he was the last fledgling to exist, but he'd heard about it. The punishment was severe and delivered without mercy. "Yes, I know."

"Michael and Raphael may not see Sam as such, but I do. Raphael and everyone he involved in this have harmed my nephew in more than one way, and they were pay for it!" Lucifer growled.

It was that Castiel realized that although he was much calmer about it, Lucifer was just as angry and vengeful as Gabriel was right now. And Castiel couldn't even find fault in their anger or wrath. He was angry too. Both those boys were a part of his family now. Dean by himself had done so much for him, and who knew what he was going through right now. So why should he feel anything for Elijah and what he might suffer. He might technically be a brother, but he didn't deserve any mercy. "Alright, I'll do as you ask."

"He won't be there forever, Castiel. Just long enough to realize what he got himself into," Lucifer said.

Castiel nodded and flew away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean had no idea where the hell he was or how long he'd been there. He'd woken up hours ago chained to some kind of table or bench in a room done completely in white and a guard standing at the wall to his left. Not that he really needed a guard. From what he could tell, there was no door for him to get out of, at least not that he could see, and he could see most of the room when he leaned his head up.

The first thing Dean looked for when he woke up was Sam. He remembered the asshole angels showing up at the house and knew they went after his brother too, so obviously, he looked for his brother. But Sam was nowhere to be found.

Dean wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that his brother wasn't here. He hoped it was a good thing. He hoped that Sam was able to fight until Gabriel could come home and save him, but he feared that that wasn't the case. That his brother had been killed in the fight. After all, it was angels who attacked and that's what they wanted. They wanted his brother dead.

Dean shook that thought away. No, he couldn't go there. His brother was still alive. He would not believe anything else. He wouldn't survive anything else. Sam had to have gotten away somehow. Maybe he teleported. Yeah, that could've happened. His brother was okay.

Dean turned to the guard, a guy with black hair dressed in a suit. He'd tried to talk to him a couple of times before but the dick just ignored him. That wasn't going to stop Dean from talking to him though. About the only weapon he had right now was his mouth, so he'd use it to annoy the hell out of his captor. "Hey, so it's getting kind of boring in her. Should we sing?"

There was no response.

"You let Metallica? It's pretty awesome. Let's give it a try," Dean said before he started singing as loud as he could in a very high pitch tone.

It was about five minutes before the angel went over and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. "Shut up!"

Dean barely managed to suppress the groan from the painful grip on his shoulders, but he did, not willing to let this bastard know he was hurting him. "Wow, I guess the robot has some life in him. How about you tell me where my brother is now?"

"You can demand nothing, you useless creature. The only reason you're alive is because of the abomination. For some reason, he is believed to be useful to us," The angel said before finally releasing his hold.

Well, that gave Dean some information. It was confirmation that his brother was alive Dean was being used as some sort of bait for him. He didn't understand what for though since they'd just had their chance at his brother. He also didn't know who was responsible for it because it clearly wasn't Michael. He didn't want to use Sam. He wanted Sam dead. "What do you want with my brother. Answer me, Asshole!"

"Shut up or I'll break your jaw. He said I couldn't kill you, not that I couldn't hurt you," the angel said coldly.

"You realize you're gonna die for this, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah? What's a mud monkey tied to a table gonna do to me?" he asked smugly.

"Not me, though I'd love a shot. You went after an archangel's son. You're trying to use him for something and Gabriel's gonna kill you for it. I just hope I get to watch," Dean said.

The angel didn't say another word. He went back to ignoring Dean.

Dean didn't say anything else. He just turned away and silently hoped the angels in his life found him soon, before they got to use him to get to Sam.


	74. Chapter 74

Lucifer stood by the rack with Meg and another demon whose name he couldn't be bothered to learn as he waited for Castiel. The two demons by his side looked almost giddy. He supposed they were excited at the prospect of torturing an angel.

Castiel came through soon with Balthazar. They were both dragging ElIjah with them, each with an angel blade pointed to him.

Lucifer approached them and looked at Elijah in the eyes. "Hello, Brother. You're not easy to find."

Elijah's eyes wandered around. It wasn't hard to tell where he was. He knew he was in Hell, but it was also fairly easy to figure out where in Hell. He could both hear and see the countless souls being tortured not far away from him. He was about to be put on the rack.

"I see you've figured out where you are," Lucifer commented before snapping his fingers. "I just bound you to your vessel and locked your Grace inside of you."

Elijah couldn't help but shudder with fear at what was about to happen to him, but he refused to give in. Let the archangel do whatever he wanted. He wouldn't reveal anything. "You can torture me as much as you want. I won't tell you a thing!"

Lucifer laughed loudly. "Is that what you think this is about? You think my plan is to break you? I don't need to break you, Elijah," he said before placing a palm on his head and letting the other angel's memories flow into his mind. Once it was done, he dropped his arm back to his side. "Wow, interesting stuff there. You people have been plotting against Michael for years."

"Do you know where Dean is?" Castiel asked.

"No. He doesn't know. But I know what Raphael wants him for, and it was Raphael. Dean is bait for Sam," Lucifer said as he glared at Elijah.

"I don't understand. Why would he need Dean for that. He had access to Sam when he attacked," Castiel said confused.

"It's not access he needs. He needs Sam's cooperation, which he'd never get without some kind of leverage," Lucifer said.

"Why? What does he want from Sam?" Castiel asked.

"Don't be so naive, Cas. He wants his power," Balthazar said.

Lucifer nodded. "I should've known he was too quiet. While we've been trying to gain support to push Michael off the top seat, Raphael was working to take us both out and he intended to use Sam to do it. Sam's power is already immense, and he's yet to reach his full potential. Think of what Raphael could do if he controlled him," Lucifer said.

"He plans to use Sam to take control of Heaven."

Lucifer nodded.

"Raphael in charge of Heaven would be a disaster! It would be worse than Michael!" Castiel exclaimed.

"It's not gonna happen. We will deal with Raphael after we rescue Dean. I have names of several angels involved with Raphael. One of them knows where Dean is. In the meantime, our brother here is in need of some comeuppance," Lucifer said as he stared the traitor angel up and down. "You can feel free to let him go, gentlemen. He's not going anywhere.

Both Castiel and Balthazar released their holds.

"As I said before, Elijah, you're not here to be broken, you're here for punishment. You broke one of the biggest laws we have. You even surpassed me in that regard. You endangered a fledgling, willfully in fact.

Elijah scoffed and spoke without thinking. "It's not a fledgling. It's an abomination."

Lucifer snarled and grabbed Elijah by the throat, dragging him over to the rack and strapping him down himself. "I would think you'd have just a bit of self-preservation, but apparently not."

Elijah's previous bravado went out the window when he actually found himself on the rack, about to be tortured for who even knew how long. "No! Don't do this! Brother, please!"

"There is no mercy for those who harm the children. You caused my nephew pain. You are going to pay for that. Be grateful it's me in charge of your punishment and not Gabriel," Lucifer said coldly before turned back to the others. "I'm sure one of you removed his blade from him. Be so kind as to loan it to Meg."

Castiel removed the blade from his coat and hesitantly handed it over to the eager demon.

"Our very own angel to play with. I almost feel like I'm in Heaven," Meg said before gleefully heading towards the terrified angel.

Lucifer started walking towards the other two angels after hearing the first scream. "Castiel, I want you to inform Gabriel of what we've learned. Tell him he needs to keep a tight hold on Sam and he needs to explain to him why agreeing to Raphael's terms is a mistake."

"Of course," Castiel said.

"Balthazar, you can return to Heaven, and do not mention this to anyone," Lucifer said.

"Gotcha," Balthazar said. With that, both angels left.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam woke up for the final time the next morning. He finally felt pretty much back to normal energy wise. Of course, that was the only way he felt at all good. Everything else made up for it. His brother was still gone as far as he knew, he was faced with the probability of helping an archangel take control of Heaven, and his father was seriously pissed at him. Life pretty much sucked right now.

Sam almost wished he could go back to being so tired he could barely think, because now that he was a hundred percent again, he was going to have to make a decision before his brother got hurt. Actually, it wasn't really a decision. His brother was gone because his dick of an uncle was using Dean to force his submission. He couldn't let Dean get hurt because of him. That meant that he had to do something that would condemn possibly the whole world. He hated that, but he had to protect his brother, just like Dean always had for him.

Sam decided he should go now. Of course, he didn't know how he was going to get to Raphael since he couldn't fly to Heaven or anywhere else yet. He guessed he was just going to have to hope that he could find an angel or that Raphael would find him once he was outside whatever protections his father had set up.

Sam stood up and immediately attempted to teleport. Nothing happened. He tried again and got the same result. Something wouldn't let him use his power. Was he not as fully charged as he thought. Was his Grace still recovering? He felt fine, but there was no other explanation. Unless…"

"I'm blocking you," a voice stated, voicing Sam's unfinished thought.

Sam looked over to find his father in the doorway looking none too pleased.

Gabriel beckoned Sam towards him with his finger. "Come with me."

Sam followed his father out of the room, through the kitchen, and into the living room.

"Sit," Gabriel ordered as he pointed to the couch. He waited for his son to do so and then stood in front of him with his arms crossed in a typical pissed off parent stance. "So, you wanna tell me where you thought you were going."

Sam shook his head no. His father clearly knew he had tried to teleport, so there was point in lying about that fact. It was just going to piss the archangel off even more. But he couldn't tell him where he was going either.

"Despite the way it was phrased, it was not a request! Answer me!" Gabriel commanded loudly.

"To get Dean back," Sam finally answered.

"And how were you planning to do that?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know."

"You know, the more times you lie to me, the bigger the hole you keep digging yourself into gets," Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

"I haven't…"

"Do not do it again!" Gabriel yelled. The more Sam lied, the angrier he got. He understood that Sam was worried about Dean, but that did not make it alright to repeatedly lie to him. In fact, despite what his son likely thought, the lies weren't helping Dean. They were making it harder to find him.

Sam stopped talking and looked down at his hands. He decided that the best thing he could do right now was not talk at all.

Gabriel sighed. "I can't believe we're going through this again. You and I just got through the issues we had from the last time you lied to me and now you you're doing it again!"

Sam wanted to be able to defend himself, to tell his dad that he had no choice, but that would mean admitting that he was indeed lying and he couldn't do that. It would put Dean in danger.

"You're going to tell me the truth, Sam. I don't care if we have to stare at each other all day and night," Gabriel said sternly.

"I don't believe that will be necessary," A voice said from behind Gabriel.

Gabriel turned to see his younger brother there. "Castiel. You guys find Dean?"

"Not yet, but we're closer. We located Elijah," Castiel said.

"Where is the SOB?" Gabriel asked angrily. He wanted to get his hands around that asshole's throat and make him pay for harming his kids.

"Lucifer has him. I believe you will approve of the punishment he has doled out. Elijah is currently strapped to Hell's rack being tortured along with the souls," Castiel said.

"Lucifer put an angel on the rack?" Sam asked in shock. He wanted all of those involved to suffer, but sending an angel to Hell seemed a bit much.

"Yes. I had the same reaction as you at first, but he deserves it. What he did to you and Dean, and what he's attempting to do to Heaven is despicable. He needs to be punished for it," Castiel said. He had still been a bit wary about the idea up until he heard what he and Raphael were planning to do to Sam and the way Elijah had spoke of him. That was when any reservation he had on the matter disappeared.

"What do you mean what he's attempting to do to Heaven?" Gabriel asked.

"Elijah, as we suspected, works for Raphael. He was the one that organized the attack the other night," Castiel said.

Gabriel turned and glared at his son. "You still gonna try to tell me you haven't lied to me?"

Sam's only response was to avoid his father's eyes.

"Raphael took Dean as bait," Castiel continued. "He planned to use him to gain Sam's compliance. He wanted to use Sam's power to take control of.

Gabriel was livid. He was going to kill Raphael for even thinking he could use his son like that. Sam would not be used by anyone, let alone that power hungry SOB. Gabriel could just imagine what he'd put Sam through. He was going to try to force him to be his puppet, make him turn on everyone he cared about and condemn both worlds to chaos at best. And all the while, he still wouldn't have let Dean go. Dean was his bargaining chip. The moment he lost him, he lost Sam. Raphael wouldn't let that happen. That meant both of Gabriel's boys would be tormented forever.

Gabriel also had quite a bit of anger for his son right now. Not only did he lie to him over and over, he was mere seconds away from succumbing to Raphael's threats. He was going to let the bastard do what he wanted. It infuriated Gabriel. He would've thought after the last time his son did something so stupid, he would finally start to think things through. Apparently not. "Is there anything else you need to tell me, Cas?"

"Lucifer has names of those who work for Raphael. He's going to try to find out where Dean is through them. He also wanted me to tell you that you should keep Sam close. He fears Sam might attempt to find Raphael," Castiel said. He said the last part quietly, but one look from Sam and he knew his nephew heard him.

Gabriel gave his son a hard stare. "He's not going anywhere. Now, I need you to leave me alone with my son, Castiel."

Castiel nodded and was about to leave, but he decided to try to help Sam out just a little. "Brother, I know you're angry, but try to remember that he thought he was protecting Dean. He was wrong to lie, but he wasn't thinking straight. You know how close he and Dean are.

Gabriel nodded. He understood that. It was the only thing keeping him from killing Sam right now. "I know, Cas. I've already taken that into consideration."

"Alright," Castiel said before leaving.

Gabriel looked at his son sternly. "You have anything to say to me."

"He said he'd put Dean on the rack!" Sam blurted out quickly.

Gabriel blinked a couple of times and stared at his son. "The rack? Hell's Rack. Tell me, Sam, who's in charge of Hell?"

"Demon's," Sam said slowly, unsure of what his father's point was.

"And who's in charge of demons?" Gabriel continued to question.

"Lucifer," Sam answered after a second.

"Exactly. So tell me, do you really think your brother could be put on the rack without Lucifer finding out about it?" Gabriel asked.

A dumbfounded look appeared on Sam's face. It never even occurred to him that Raphael wouldn't be able to send Dean to Hell without Lucifer realizing it. He'd just freaked out about the prospect of his brother being sent back to Hell. "I didn't think about that."

"No, you didn't," Gabriel said before walking over and taking a seat in the recliner. "You haven't done much thinking at all. And you know what? I can understand that to a certain extent. You weren't exactly in the best state of mind. You were exhausted and barely able to think about anything other than Dean being taken. But then you woke up this morning and you still didn't take the time to think things through. You were ready to make yet another stupid decision out of fear. I don't even want to think about what would've happened if I hadn't decided to block you."

"Look, even if Raphael can't put Dean on the rack, he could still hurt him. I couldn't tell you it was him. I had to do what Raphael wanted!" Sam said loudly, practically begging his father to understand.

"Then what? Say you managed to get past me today and we never found out it was Raphael. What do you think would've happened? Where do you think Dean would be? You think Raphael would've let him go. He's never gonna let him go. Dean's his bargaining chip. He lets him go, he's got no control over you," Gabriel explained.

Sam's eyes widened with horror. Once again, he hadn't thought of that. He just assumed Dean would be free if he did what Raphael wanted, or maybe he just hoped the unlikely would happen. As a hunter, he should've known better.

"Why is it that someone who got a full ride to an Ivy league school can't seem to think things through?!" Gabriel asked in frustration.

Sam looked down in shame. He had no answer. He'd almost screwed things up worse again by not thinking clearly. Why did that keep happening? Why couldn't he just get all the facts clear in his head before he did something stupid? "I'm sorry."

"Yeah? Until when? The next time something happens and you feel the need to act out of fear instead of thinking things through, putting both yourself and others at risk. You know, you are damn lucky that Lucifer and Castiel managed to figure out that you were lying. Dad only knows what would've happened to you and your brother if we hadn't figured it out."

Sam bowed his head even further and remained quiet. He felt so small right now. He'd screwed up big time. He hadn't helped his brother at all by staying quiet. He might have made things worse for Dean. They might have been able to find him by now if Sam had just been honest.

"Get your eyes on me," Gabriel ordered.

Sam raised his head and forced himself to look at his father.

"I love you, Sam, but this has to stop. It is going to stop!" Gabriel informed him firmly.

Sam nodded.

"Alright, we're going to table this conversation for the moment because finding Dean is more important, and I won't really have your complete attention until we do anyway. But we will come back to this. Do you understand me?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes, sir," Sam couldn't help but reply with.

"I love you. You get that, right?" Gabriel asked. He knew he'd already said it, but he needed it made clear that he would always love Sam, no matter how pissed he might be.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Good. Now, we're going to go into the other room and you're going to eat something. I don't want to hear a single argument, am I clear?" Gabriel asked sternly.

Sam nodded and stood up, leading the way towards the kitchen.


	75. Chapter 75

Castiel was following one of his brothers through Heaven. It was one from the list that Lucifer extracted from Elijah's head. And he was sure that this angel knew exactly where Raphael had taken Dean. Why was that? Because this angel, Emmanuel, was one of Michael's most trusted, aside from Raphael himself. The archangel wouldn't be able to resist the temptation.

Castiel had asked Lucifer to allow him to handle Emmanuel personally. He didn't want to approach this angel with brute force. Emmanuel was not like the others that followed Raphael. His angel was not one to betray. He was known for his integrity. If he did so, he must believe that there was no other option. He could be reached.

"Do you think I don't know when I'm being followed?" Emmanuel suddenly asked as he stopped in his tracks. He didn't, however, bother to turn around.

"No. I knew very well that you knew I was following you," Castiel simply said.

Emmanuel turned to face his brother. "What is it that you want, Castiel?"

"You know what I want, brother," Castiel said.

"Is that so," Emmanuel asked with a raised eyebrow.

Castiel took a few steps forward. "I know you know Dean Winchester's location."

"How would I know that? You've been hiding the Winchester's."

Castiel sighed. "I realize that Michael's leadership is not very desirable, but..."

"You dare question our brother's leadership?!" Emmanuel asked with a face of anger.

"Is it not better than to tell the truth than to go behind his back?" Castiel shot at him.

It had its desired affect when the other angel failed to hold back a flinch.

"Michael knows where I stand. You can't say the same," Castiel said

"I'll not stand for baseless accusations!" Emmanuel growled.

"We know the truth, brother. Lucifer has gotten the information from Elijah. Do you truly believe Raphael is the one to trust?" Castiel asked.

"I have nothing to say to you, Castiel, as you are definitely not the one to trust," Emmanuel said.

"Why? Because I went against Heaven, or should I say, Michael? You are doing the same. Do not make yourself out to be better than me," Castiel said.

"You are working for the Devil! He was cast out! He's a traitor!"

"Again, I ask you not to pretend you're any better. You have betrayed Michael," he shot back.

"Because he released Lucifer!" Emmanuel blurted out in a harsh whisper before remembering himself. By then though, it was too late. He'd already admitted to Castiel that he was right. "He let him loose on us. I cannot condone such a thing."

"I agree on such a matter, but that doesn't mean Raphael is the better choice," Castiel said.

"What is left? Only Lucifer. I will not let him take control, and do not deny that is his goal," Emmanuel said.

"I don't."

"And you are gaining ground. You have convinced many of our brothers to side with him. He will usurp Michael for control if someone doesn't do something," he said alarmed.

"Emmanuel, I'm not sure what it is you strive for here. What is it that you think will be better with Raphael in charge? He is the coldest archangel there is. He would destroy us. He has already caused the deaths of three angels when he put his plan into motion," Castiel said.

Emmanuel shook his head. "The Nephilim killed them."

"Sam killed them because they attacked him and his brother. Did you really expect him to allow that to happen without fighting back? Do you believe Raphael thought he would do such a thing. He sent angels to attack knowing that some if not all of them would be killed. He didn't care about them. He doesn't care about any of us. It is a matter of gaining the most powerful position in Heaven," Castiel said.

"You think that's not what Lucifer wants?"

"No, I know exactly what Lucifer wants. He wants safety for our nephew and a better life for the rest of us. I understand why you cannot believe that, but it is the truth. He has done nothing to hurt any of us that wasn't first warranted. His goal has been to bring everyone to him by merely telling them the truth. Raphael has harmed others," Castiel said.

"Just a human and an abomination. Who cares about either of them?"

Castiel glared and took a step towards him. "I do! Both those boys are a part of my family, and whether you like it or not, Sam is a part of yours! And how about the three angels that were killed? Do you not care about your own siblings?"

"I did what I had to!"

Castiel sighed. "You did what you believed to be right. I believe that. I also believe no matter how much you try, you can't justify what happened that night. You know it shouldn't have happened, even if only because of the angels that were lost. Were you there, Brother?"

Emmanuel shook his head. "No. I was aware of what was happening, but I wasn't there."

"Tell me where Dean is. I promise you, if you don't, things will only get worse. More of us will die, either by Raphael's hand or in an attempt to stop him," Castiel warned.

Emmanuel knew he had no real choice. Not only would more angels die, something he really didn't want to see, but chances were, he'd be one of them. Castiel would tell Lucifer of this meeting and the archangel would come after him. "Alright."

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Dean tested the chains keeping him tied down for about the billionth time. Unsurprisingly, they wouldn't budge. They weren't like all the other binds he'd gotten himself out of over the years. He got the feeling these were magical cuffs, as they didn't appear to even have a place for a key. Still as a hunter, Dean didn't have it in him to give up when he was boxed into a corner.

Dean soon heard a maniacal laugh from close by. He turned his head to see that a new angel had entered the room. Well, not exactly knew. Dean had seen him before. It was that dick, Raphael.

"It is amusing to watch you try to get loose. Do you honestly think you could escape us even if you did manage to free yourself," Raphael said with a smirk.

"How about you let me out of these and we'll find out?" Dean retorted.

Raphael laughed. "I am tempted, believe me.

"Where's my brother?" Dean demanded to know.

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Brother? You don't have a brother, do you? Oh, wait, there is the bastard son your father created without your knowledge, but he's dead, isn't he?"

Dean glared, but said nothing on the matter. He would not allow this bastard to bait him. "Where is Sam?"

"Oh, my young nephew. You should've been more clear. Calling him your brother confused me as he's clearly not such. Anyway, he's just where you left him, I'd imagine. Well, maybe not. Gabriel isn't stupid enough to stay there after his home has been attacked," Raphael said.

"What do you want from him?" Dean asked. He'd learned enough to know that Raphael was using him as bait, but he still didn't know what for.

"Don't concern yourself with that. It's beyond a being so insignificant," Raphael sneered.

"Stay away from my brother!" Dean yelled.

Raphael chuckled. "Or what? What can a mud monkey like you do. I could destroy you right now with a simple wave of my hand."

"Then you'd better because I'll kill you if you go near my brother," Dean vowed.

Raphael suddenly grabbed Dean by the neck and literally tore him from the table he was bound to, breaking the chains as he did it. "You humans have irked me since the moment my father had the asinine idea to create you. You think you are more important than you are. You are nothing! You are mere bugs that should be stomped on!"

"S...Sounds to me l...like the wrong b...brother got cast into Hell," Dean choked out.

Raphael lifted Dean up into the air and tossed him across the room effortlessly.

Dean yelled out as he landed on his wrist and felt it snap. He fought through the pain and tried to get up, but before he could, he felt himself being lifted up by the shirt and slammed against the wall.

"You must be the most idiotic human I've ever met! You should bow at an angel's feet, but instead, you seem to think you are on par with us. What is it that makes you think this? The fact that you are Michael's vessel? Or maybe it is because Gabriel took it upon himself to protect you. I hope you're not under the impression that you matter to him. It is not you he does it for. He houses and protects you only to appease your supposed brother. It is him, my brother cherishes, not you.

Dean refused to let the archangel get a rise out of him, even if he knew the words were true. He wouldn't let this bastard have that satisfaction. "Well, I'll give you that he cherishes Sam, which means, you're screwed. He's gonna kill you for even trying to get to him."

Raphael punched him in the face, causing a bloody mess of Dean's face. Then he threw him around the room again. He started to prowl after him again when suddenly an invisible force had him against the wall.

Lucifer could soon be seen walking towards Raphael while Castiel made a dash for Dean.

The other angel that had been there to guard Dean had obviously decided that it was not worth it to try to fight an archangel, as he quickly retreated.

"Never been so happy to see you, Cas," Dean groaned out.

"You as well, Dean," Castiel said as he crouched down next to Dean and placed two fingers to his forehead, healing the injuries instantly. He then stood up and held a hand out for the hunter.

"Is Sam okay?" Dean asked as he took his friend's hand and allowed him to help him up.

"He is fine."

Lucifer, meanwhile, made a tutting sound as he stood in front of his younger brother. "Oh, Raphael. It seems you've been getting yourself into some trouble. What should we do about that?

"Coming to the rescue of a mud monkey? Isn't that beneath you, Lucifer?" Raphael asked with a sneer. He knew he was likely done, but he would not show weakness, not even in likely defeat.

Lucifer turned to Castiel and Dean. "Castiel, take him home. I have things from here."

"Come on! I should at least get to watch," Dean protested.

"Dean, Gabriel and Sam are extremely worried," Castiel told him.

It took mere seconds for Dean to decide that his brother was much more important than the dick currently being held by Lucifer's power. Plus, he had faith that Lucifer could more than give Raphael what he deserved. He was called the Devil for a reason. "Yeah, okay, let's go."

Castiel placed his fingers to Dean's forehead and teleported him away.


	76. Chapter 76

Sam sat in the living room with his father. He was extremely tense. Not only was he extremely worried about his brother, but things between him and his father weren't the best. He'd lost every bit of trust he'd regained with the man after making the stupid decision to follow Raphael's orders.

Sam knew now how stupid it had been. After listening to his father explain what would've happened if he'd gone alone with Raphael, he realized he almost made things a hundred times worse for Dean. He should've come forward with the truth immediately. If he had, maybe Dean would've been found by now.

Gabriel, meanwhile looked at the clock and then over at Sam. "Hey, it's pretty late. You think you wanna try to get some sleep."

Sam shook his head. "I wouldn't be able to."

"I can help you with that," Gabriel said.

"I don't want to, not until Dean's back. I've gotten enough sleep the last few days anyway," Sam said.

"Sitting here and obsessing won't bring your brother back sooner," Gabriel pointed out.

"I know. That's why we should be out there looking for him," Sam said.

"I believe we've already had this conversation. I'm not risking you out in the open," Gabriel said firmly. Sam had mentioned a few hours ago that he wanted to look for his brother. Gabriel had shut him down very quickly.

"Then you could go look," Sam said.

"I am not leaving you alone."

Sam's eyes dropped, knowing his father's refusal to leave him had to do with what he did and not being able to trust him.

Gabriel could tell what his son was thinking. "Your actions are a factor, but even without them I wouldn't consider leaving you here alone. The last time I left you alone, you were attacked. We're just going to have to trust that Lucifer and Castiel will find your brother.

"Your trust is not misplaced," another voice said.

They both turned to see Castiel standing with Dean a few feet away. Sam immediately bolted up and ran to his brother, pulling him into his arms. "Dean!"

"Umph!" Dean let out as he was pulled into the bone crushing hug. "Dude, didn't realize just how strong you were. Can I get a little air, Sammy?"

Sam loosened his grip slightly, but he didn't let go. He was too happy and relieved after the last few days.

Gabriel came up behind Sam and touched his shoulders. "Let him go for a minute, son. I need to look him over."

Sam reluctantly let his brother go, but he stayed right by his side. He wouldn't be letting his brother out of his sight anytime soon.

"I'm okay," Dean told Gabriel.

Gabriel took him by the arms and looked him over anyway. "You sure?"

"He is well. I healed him," Castiel said.

Dean glared at Cas for a minute. No one needed to know that he had to be healed. He'd rather them think he was left uninjured. He knew they'd fuss over him otherwise. Well, Sam would anyway, despite the fact that he was healed.

"Good. Come here," Gabriel said before pulling the kid into his arms. He knew Dean would be caught off-guard and maybe feel a little weird, but just like when he first hugged Sam after being worried for his life, he didn't care.

Dean was quite frankly very shocked at the embrace. Gabriel had never hugged him before. Why would he? He was his brother's father, not his. Like Raphael had said, he was just someone Gabriel put up with for Sam's sake.

Gabriel pulled away after a second.

"Are you sure you're okay, Dean? What did they do to you?" Sam asked.

"It was nothing. I'm fine. Are you? As soon as the fight started, I was basically out. Were you hurt?" Dean asked.

"No, not physically. I was left exhausted after smiting three angels, but I was okay after some sleep," Sam said.

Dean swore under his breath. "Three? I've seen you after taking out one demon. You must have been totally out of it."

"He was. He slept for days," Gabriel said.

"I was fine. You were the one held hostage and apparently injured," Sam said.

"Yes, I want to know more about that. How badly were you hurt," Gabriel asked.

"It wasn't a big deal. I'm good," Dean insisted.

Gabriel turned to his brother, knowing he'd get a better answer from him. "How badly was he hurt?"

"A broken nose, broken jaw, a concussion, three cracked ribs, and a broken wrist," Castiel answered.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed.

"What? That is an extremely accurate answer," Castiel said, not understanding the problem.

"Too accurate," Dean said.

"He apparently wanted to downplay what happened," Gabriel said.

"He must of known I told you, Dad. Raphael stayed true to his word," Sam said sadly.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked.

"Raphael told me to let everyone thing Michael was responsible or he'd hurt you. He even threatened to send you back to Hell. I'm so sorry, Dean," Sam said.

Dean waved the apology off. He didn't hurt me because you didn't listen. He did it because he's a dick. And also maybe because provoked him a little bit."

"What? What did you do?" Sam asked.

"I told him I'd kill him if he hurt you and I might have also said that maybe he should've been sent to the cage instead of Lucifer. Who knew that would set him off?" Dean asked with a grin.

Gabriel huffed in frustration. "I should smack you for that. Didn't anyone tell you not to piss off an archangel holding you hostage?"

Dean shrugged in response. "I need a shower, and food, and to sleep for about a month."

Gabriel nodded. "Hit the shower. I'll have dinner for you when you get out."

"Awesome," Dean said as he began to walk away. He turned back at the last second. "Oh, and I want pie. I think I deserve some damn pie after the week I've had. In fact, forget about dinner. I just want pie.

"You'll get both. Now, move," Gabriel said before giving him a gentle push towards the bathroom.

Sam, meanwhile, turned to Castiel. "Cas, thank you so much for finding him. I wouldn't have survived losing my brother."

"We never would've allowed that, Sam," Castiel assured him.

"Where was he?" Gabriel asked.

"Raphael was holding him in one of his realities. Lucifer and I managed to break through after finding it and rescued him. I don't know how, but Lucifer managed to pull it off undetected until we were there," Castiel said.

"Where's Raphael?" Gabriel asked in a deadly tone. When he got his hands on that little bastard, he was going to make him regret even daring to think of screwing with his family.

"I assume they he and Lucifer are still where we found him. Do not worry, Brother. I very much doubt Lucifer will be merciful," Castiel said.

"Maybe not, but it's not his call. Raphael is mine!" Gabriel said firmly.

"You're going after him?" Sam asked.

"Damn right. Do I even need to tell you that you're to stay put?" he asked his son.

Sam shook his head. No matter how much he'd like to go with his Dad and have his own go at Raphael, he knew better than to try to argue that at this point. His dad was already annoyed with him. He didn't want to make it worse.

Gabriel snapped his fingers and a couple of burgers, some fries, and a cherry pie appeared on the dining room table for Dean. "Alright, Cas, I want you to take me to Lucifer and Raphael and then I want you to come right back here."

"Of course," Castiel said. Then the two of them disappeared.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer paced in front of Raphael, who was still pinned to the wall. "What shall we do here, Brother? What type of punishment will suffice for all your sins?"

Raphael laughed. "You are one to speak of sins, Lucifer."

"No, Raphael, I believe you even out did me," Lucifer said as he stopped right in front of his brother. "You plotted war between your brothers, you sent you sent angels, your sibling out to be killed, and worse of all, you attacked a fledgling."

Raphael sneered. "I'd hardly call him a fledgling."

"I would, and as your judgment is in my hands, it's the only opinion that matters. Unless I decide to hand you over to Michael. We both know he'd execute you on spot just for betraying him. But I have no interest in that. Despite what you've done, I don't wanna see you dead. Besides, you don't deserve such a merciful fate. So what should I do? Should I show you my former home?" Lucifer asked with a smirk.

Raphael's eyes widened. "You wouldn't!"

"You're right, I wouldn't. I wouldn't wish the cage on anyone. Putting you on the rack is on the table though. That's where your buddy Elijah currently is. Should you share his fate?" Lucifer asked.

"That's not even nearly good enough!" an angry voice from behind him said.

Lucifer turned to find Gabriel with Castiel. "Brother, I thought you might join us."

Gabriel turned back to Castiel. "Go."

Castiel nodded and quickly left.

Gabriel glared at Raphael, but addressed Lucifer. "Let him go."

Lucifer waved his hand, releasing Raphael from the wall.

Before Raphael even had time to adjust to his new Freedom, Gabriel grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and tossed him through the air.

Raphael got up a second later and smirked. "You think you can take me on, baby brother? You're nothing. Come on and let me prove it."

Gabriel needed no further prompting. He was pissed and he was going to make sure Raphael paid for targeting his boys

Raphael went to throw a punch the second Gabriel was close enough, but the younger angel grabbed his wrist and threw a punch of his own, sending the archangel back a few feet.

Gabriel reached his brother once more and picked him up off the floor. He slammed his brother against the wall and brought his arm up against his throat. "You little asshole! You kidnapped one of my boys and tried to manipulate the other one! You're going to pay!"

Raphael forcibly pushed Gabriel off, sending him to the ground. He then laughed. "You're belief that you can take me on, is almost cute, Gabriel. We both know how pathetic you are. I could destroy you in a second.

Gabriel retaliated by sending his brother flying through the air with a wave of a hand before standing up and stalking towards the angel once more. Raphael might be right. He might be stronger than Gabriel under normal circumstances, but Raphael had no idea what a father's rage could accomplish.

Gabriel grabbed Raphael once more and pulled him up before his blade appeared in his hand and he brought it to the other archangel's throat.

Lucifer immediately went over and took ahold of Gabriel's shoulder. "Brother, stop. You can punish him however you see fit, but I won't let you kill him."

"I'm not gonna kill him. That's not good enough for what he did," Gabriel said. Oh, a big part of him wanted to plunge his blade right into Raphael's chest, just like he had with Zachariah when he harmed the boys. But he wanted Raphael to suffer far more than he wanted Zachariah too. No, he wasn't going to kill him. He was going to do much worse.

Raphael tried free himself, but one wave of Lucifer's hand found him bound once more.

Gabriel used his blade to cut Raphael's throat just a little. Then he vanished the blade and a vial appeared in its place.

Raphael paled. He knew exactly what his brother had planned. "No! You can't!"

Without a word, Gabriel put the vial up to Raphael's neck and watched as his Grace filled it. He stopped just before the last few drops pooled out and then healed the wound. "You have just enough Grace left that you can't be killed. In every other way, you're powerless."

"You'll pay for this!" Raphael seethed.

Gabriel snapped his fingers and Raphael disappeared.

"Where'd you send him?" Lucifer asked.

"To a prison in a third world country. He'll be seen as a war criminal and treated like the traitorous bastard he is. He's just a little more than a human now," Gabriel said with a smirk. It felt fitting to him. Raphael hated humans and now he was forced to live among the worst of them.

"Hmm. I gotta say, I wouldn't have even thought of something so harsh. What happens when he doesn't age?" Lucifer wondered.

"I'll move him in a few years or so. I'll keep doing so until I'm satisfied."

"Well, he's screwed then" Lucifer said with a smirk. He had a feeling Gabriel wouldn't be satisfied for a long time.

"I'm going home. I need to be with my boys," Gabriel said.

Lucifer nodded and watched his brother leave.


	77. Chapter 77

Dean was woken up the next morning by the smell of bacon. He immediately got up and put on a pair of sweat pants before heading out of the room. He could sleep a few more hours, but he was hungry and could go for a little of everything that Gabriel snapped up.

When he made it out to the kitchen, Dean found that Gabriel actually hadn't actually snapped anything up. He was cooking, something the archangel slowly did. "What's the occasion?"

"I was a bit bored and wanted to keep myself busy until you two got up," Gabriel said.

Dean snagged a slice of bacon that was cooling on the counter. "Sam and Cas said you went after Raphael. Sam tried to stay up and wait, but neither of us succeeded there."

"I'm not surprised. You've both had a hard few days. Sam got the amount of sleep he needed after the attack, but he was very stressed when he was awake. He was probably mentally exhausted by the time you made it back. And I'm sure you didn't sleep very well at all in the last few days. In fact, you look like you could use more sleep even now," Gabriel commented before placing some pancakes onto a plate.

"Yeah, I could. I got up because I smelled the food. And you're right, until last night, I didn't sleep well. Sleep's not easy when you're chained to some kind of table, especially when you have no idea what happened to your brother," Dean said with a shudder.

"You sure you're okay? What you went through can be hard to deal with after the fact. You wanna talk about it," Gabriel asked.

"No, I'm good," Dean said as he shifted uncomfortably. He didn't understand why Gabriel was so concerned for him or why he'd hugged him the night before. That had been bugging him all night. Why had he done that? Dean wasn't really important to Gabriel. He knew the archangel didn't hate him and might even feel an obligation to look out for him to pay his mother back for loving Sam, but that was all it really was. So why did he hug him and why did he appear so concerned.

Gabriel could tell something was bothering Dean and decided he would get to the bottom of it as they ate. "Come on, let's eat," he said before snapping his fingers. The food all disappeared and reappeared on the dining room table. Individual plates also appeared on the table for himself, Dean, and Sam, as well as a pot of coffee and cups.

"We gonna wake Sam?" Dean asked.

"Nah, let him be. He'll get up when he's ready," Gabriel said as he led the way to the table.

Dean followed and sat down in his usual chair and helped himself to some of the food. There was bacon, eggs, pancakes and sausage. He piled a bit of everything onto his plate. Then he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Gabriel sat and got his own food together.

"So did you kill Raphael?" Dean asked.

"No."

"I figured you would've after what he tried to do to Sam. He and Cas told me he wanted Sam to help him take control of Heaven. I thought you would've ended him for trying to hurt Sam like that.

It wasn't lost on Gabriel that Dean only mentioned what Raphael did to Sam. He didn't seem to think it was important that Raphael had also done damage to him, even more so than Sam. Unfortunately, Gabriel wasn't all that surprised. Dean had always seemed to think Sam was more important than him. It was ingrained into him by his father. "I thought about it, but I wasn't going to give him that out. I wanted him to suffer for what he did to both of you. Not only did he try to use Sam and cause him to exhaust himself trying to defend the both of you, but he kidnapped you could've killed you when he assaulted you. So instead of being dead, he's in a prison with very little Grace, suffering a very similar fate.

Dean became a bit uncomfortably again when Gabriel mentioned what was done to him, but perked up again when the archangel told him what he did to Raphael. "I think I forgot for a second how big a dick you can be when someone pisses you off. You know, I was hoping you'd kill him, but I think I like this better. He's suffering and he can't come after us anymore."

Gabriel nodded. "Now how about you tell me what's bothering you?"

"What?" Dean asked, a bit caught off guard.

"You're acting a bit weird. Tell me why. Is it Raphael? Something happen you don't want to tell me?" Gabriel asked.

Dean thought about trying to wave off Gabriel's concerns, but he knew that it wouldn't work. Gabriel was stubborn as hell, and it surpassed Dean's own stubbornness. He would get him to answer. So instead, Dean blurted out the question that had been bothering him since last night. "Why'd you hug me?"

Gabriel was surprised by the question, but quickly got over it. He realized that it probably had been surprising for the hunter. Gabriel hadn't even realized the extent of his feelings for Dean until he was taking, so how could he expect Dean to? "Why'd I hug you? Because after days of worrying what kind of condition you were in and if I'd ever see you again, I needed to feel you in my arms. I needed that to know that you were really there and okay. It's the same reason I hugged Sam after he left to try and surrender to Michael."

"But Sam's your son, I'm not," Dean said.

"Says who? I know you don't care about blood, Dean. You consider Sam your brother and Bobby your father. You are not the type to believe that blood means family. Neither am I. You're a part of my family," Gabriel said firmly.

"Because of Sam," Dean said.

"Okay, yeah, it started off that way. I cared about you because of Sam. I brought you here because it after seeing what the separation caused you to do, I realized he was safer with you here. But that's now how it is now. I realized when Raphael kidnapped you that it wasn't just Sam I was concerned for. I was concerned for you too, just as much as I was when Sam tried to kill himself through Michael," Gabriel explained.

"You were?" Dean asked surprised.

"Yes. I realized you were just as much my son as Sam," Gabriel said.

Dean wasn't sure what to say. He had thought Raphael was right when he said Gabriel only dealt with him for Sam's sake, and that had hurt because he realized then that he felt differently about Gabriel. He no longer hated him for the things he did as a Trickster or for being Sam's father, having a connection to his brother he'd just realized at the time he'd never and would never have. Thinking back, he did see Gabriel as a sort of father figure, like Bobby. Both men had acted more of one than his actual father.

"You alright?" Gabriel asked. The kid had been quiet for a couple of minutes.

"I...I wish you didn't feel that way, and I wish I didn't feel the same," Dean said sadly.

"Why's that?" Gabriel asked. Dean had just admitted that he saw him as a father. Why was that so bad? Did he think he was insulting John or even Bobby?

"Because when this is all finally over and you take Sam to Heaven, it's not just him I'm losing," Dean said, trying very hard to keep control of his emotions.

Gabriel sighed. He could certainly understand where Dean was coming from, and he hated it. He hated that should this work out the way they hoped, he had to leave one son behind. When he thought about it now, he felt like he choosing one son over the other. He knew it wasn't like that. Dean was human. Earth was his home. He'd be okay here. Sam wouldn't. He could never be normal here. Hell, he might even be persecuted. It wasn't really a choice. But it still felt like he was being forced to choose and he knew it must feel that way to Dean. "Dean, if I could find a way for us all to stay here and have a good life, I would. I don't want to leave."

"I know that. I know that leaving is the only way that Sam can ever truly belong anywhere. I know he can't here, especially now that he has wings. He could never so much as go out in public. I get that you have to do this," Dean said. He hadn't at first. He'd tried everything he could to get Gabriel to change his mind, but after it was explained to him and he really thought about it, he knew Sam would at best be miserable here. He didn't want that.

"I want you to understand something, and I know this probably isn't very comforting. If We do go to Heaven, I will be there for you if you need me. All you have to do is pray and I will be by your side in a second," Gabriel promised.

Just then Sam came into the room. "Morning."

"Morning, kiddo. Have a seat and help yourself to breakfast," Gabriel said.

Sam sat next to Dean and piled his plate with pancakes and bacon. He then poured himself a cup of coffee and turned to his brother. "You okay? Did you sleep well?"

"Dude, stop asking me if I'm okay. I'm fine," Dean said. Sam had to have asked him that same question five times last night at least. It was getting just slightly annoying.

Sam turned to his father. "What happened with Raphael?"

Gabriel explained to Sam what he did with Raphael and assured him that he would not pose a threat to them anymore.

Sam laughed. "That's just freaking awesome. How long are you going to leave him there."

"Oh, he'll be frequenting different prisons for at least a century or two, maybe longer. I'm not very forgiving," Gabriel said with an evil grin.

"I wonder how Michael's gonna take all this. Something tells me the dude won't take too well to his baby brother betraying him," Dean said before taking a bite of his food.

"Oh, that will definitely be a loud conversation. Luckily, Lucifer gets to deal with it," Gabriel said.

Dean took the last bite of his food and stood up. "Alright, I'm gonna get a couple more hours of sleep. I only got up for food."

"Get as much sleep as you need," Gabriel said as he watched him leave.

Sam finished his food and then got up as well. "I'm gonna hit the shower."

"Don't you think we should have a little conversation first?" Gabriel asked. They needed to continue there talk on Sam's decision to lie to him and go along with Raphael. He considered waiting a few days to allow Sam time to just be happy to have his brother back, but he decided that it was best to get it over with. He didn't want Sam to think that he was letting it go. It would just be cruel when he realized otherwise.

Sam looked at his father for a minute and then his eyes fell to the floor as he realized what the man wanted to talk about. He did tell him that they would discuss it again once Dean was safe.

"Did you think I'd forget because everything turned out okay?" Gabriel asked.

Sam shook his head. "I guess I just forgot for a second due to the excitement of Dean coming back."

"I haven't. Take a seat," Gabriel ordered.

Sam dropped back into his chair.

"Okay, let's start by you telling me when I gave you the impression that it was acceptable to lie to me," Gabriel said in a firm, fatherly tone.

"You haven't," Sam said softly.

"I must have if you repeatedly do it," Gabriel commented.

"I didn't know what else to do, Dad. Raphael said he'd hurt Dean if I didn't do what he said. I was scared," Sam said.

"That's why I'm here, or Cas or Lucifer. To help you when you don't know what to do. That's what families are supposed to do. But, you know, I understand that you're not good at asking for help. You were taught to handle things on your own and to sacrifice yourself while you're at if necessary. I also understand that you were scared and that it's harder to think clearly when you're scared for someone you love. But none of that makes it okay for you to lie to me and make such rash decisions. What you did didn't do a thing to help the situation. You understand that, right?" Gabriel asked. He didn't want to make his son feel bad, but he needed him to understand how serious this was and how badly it could've ended.

"Yeah. By lying, I made it harder to find Dean, and if I had made it Raphael, I could've screwed all of us," Sam said guiltily.

"Right. You're not responsible for anything that happened to Dean, but what you did wasn't helpful. Plus, you threw away my trust again. That doesn't make me happy either," Gabriel said firmly.

Sam looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry."

"I know, but I need you to be more than just sorry. I need you to realize your mistakes and stop making them the same way!" Gabriel yelled slightly.

"I...I will," Sam promised.

"I hope so, but I will be keeping a very close eye on you for a while to make sure of it."

"Are you gonna make me follow you everywhere again?" Sam asked. He really hoped not, but he could understand it. He wouldn't argue.

"No. It's a different situation, and again, I do understand why you acted the way you did. But your teleporting will be blocked for a while and the flying lessons you've been looking for are going to be put on hold for the immediate future. You won't be left in the house without me, Cas, or Lucifer either, but that would happen anyway after what Raphael did," Gabriel told him.

Sam nodded. "I get it. I'll prove you can trust me again."

Gabriel nodded. "I believe you will. Honestly, in a normal situation, I trust you know. But I need to be able to when something bad happens too. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I really am sorry."

"We'll get through it," Gabriel promised.

"Can I go now?" Sam asked.

Gabriel nodded and watched as his son got up and left the room.


	78. Chapter 78

Michael stormed angrily into Lucifer's office. He couldn't find Raphael anywhere and he just knew his brother had something to do with it, especially considering Lucifer seemed to be avoiding him lately.. He knew he'd been up to something. This had to be it. "What have you done?!"

Lucifer looked up from what he was doing. "Michael, good. You saved me a trip to come find you. Come in and shut the door.

Michael slammed the door shut behind him and walked further into the room. "Where is Raphael?"

"Well, I'm afraid our brother had to be punished for treason and crimes against a fledgling," Lucifer said.

"That is ridiculous. There has not been a fledgling in centuries! And Raphael is certainly no traitor. He is firmly with me and anything he's done to you is warranted," Michael said with a sneer.

Lucifer chuckled before getting up and walking over to the other side of his desk. "Oh, you have no idea the depth of Raphael's betrayal. He's been planning your downfall for years. He just needed to wait for the right moment."

"You are a liar!" Michael yelled.

Lucifer didn't respond to the accusation. He simply brought his hand to his brother's head and transferred his memories of the least few days to the older archangel.

Michael shrank away as though he'd been burned. "No! He wouldn't!"

"Of course he would. Raphael has never had any loyalty. He does what is best for himself. You're the only one who never realized it, probably because you relished having him up your ass basically since he was created. You think Raphael ever gave a damn about you? All he ever cared about was power and how it could get him what he wanted. When he realized there was a way for him to get more of it without you, he took it," Lucifer said. Honestly, he himself should've known not to underestimate Raphael in favor of confusing on Michael. Raphael was smarter and more manipulative. That made him about a thousand times more dangerous.

Michael went through all the memories that Lucifer had just given him, barely containing his rage. He would like to believe Lucifer was lying and had planted those memories, but it honestly made sense when he thought about it. Raphael had been distant lately, very quiet. He didn't bother with him or Lucifer since just after Lucifer returned. He also remembered Raphael telling him that the nephilim could be used for power. And Raphael had apparently tried to do, along with Michael's own vessel. He'd used both to try to destroy Michael. That was unforgivable! "Where is Raphael? I demand you bring him to me immediately!"

"Sorry, Michael. Even if I knew exactly where he was, I wouldn't retrieve him for you. I'll not allow you to execute him. Don't worry though, his misery is guaranteed. Our baby brother was far from merciful," Lucifer assured him.

"He is mine to deal with!" Michael bellowed.

"No," was all Lucifer said.

"How dare you?! It is not for you or Gabriel to punish Raphael! His fate lies with the ruler of Heaven! Me!"

"First of all, you're not the ruler of Heaven. You're simply the manager in the old man's absence. Second, you won't be managing it for much longer," Lucifer told him.

Michael glared ferociously at his brother. "You will never have control!"

"I will, with or without your compliance, though it would make it much easier for both of us," Lucifer said before returning to his chair. "I think it's time for you to really think of the situation, Michael, and what the likely outcome will be if you keep fighting me. From the moment I returned and then allowed Castiel to come back, we've been recruiting left and right. We have entire garrisons on our side and our numbers grow more every day. The best part is we didn't do it by lies or threats. All we had to do was give them the facts. They came because they knew they couldn't trust you anymore. They realized you'd sacrifice every last one of them just to make Daddy happy," Lucifer mocked.

"That is the way it should be!" Michael yelled.

Lucifer decided not to comment on his brother's last remark. He was making a point. "So the support you once had is minimal. Compared to mine, you have a fraction. And now you've lost Raphael, though you never really had him. His betrayal is going to be a big hit for you. Your faith in him was misplaced, further proof that you shouldn't be trusted."

"Then I'll fight you physically! I am still stronger than you," Michael said, not ready to back down. He listened what his brother had to say and he had to concede it looked bleak for him, but there must be away. He could not give everything away to the brother that had betrayed them all.

Lucifer leaned back in his chair lazily, not at all phased by his brother suggestion. "One on one, maybe. But it wouldn't be one on one. It would be me, Gabriel, and every angel that sides with us. You're not stronger than all of us. We wouldn't even have to kill you to take you down. So again, you'll lose. You're done, Michael. Your only choice now is how you handle the loss. You can step down willingly and hold onto your dignity or you can fall on your face I'll take it all from you. Do us all a favor and just give it up now."

Michael could feel the walls closing in on him, because once again, he knew that Lucifer was right. Even in a physical fight, at this point, he'd lose. Surely though, he could make some kind of deal with Lucifer. He would give almost anything at this point to keep what belonged to him. The only thing he couldn't bring himself to budge on was the thing Gabriel created. But surely Lucifer didn't really care about that. He was just using Sam Winchester and Gabriel to get what he really wanted. "There... there must be some kind of ag...agreement we can come to."

For a moment, Lucifer almost felt bad for his older brother. It was clear that he was coming to the conclusion that he'd lost. It had him so desperate that his brother was willing to give anything to stop it, and it clearly pained him to allow Lucifer to see that. But Michael had brought this on himself. Besides, this was as best for him as it was for everyone else. Michael just wasn't a good leader. Let him take a step back. He might find that he'll prefer it. "No, Michael. Perhaps if you hadn't taken things so far. If you hadn't been so determined to hurt Gabriel and Sam or I hadn't seen the damage you've done to our siblings. I can't allow it."

"You have done worse!" Michael yelled.

"This is not about me. What I did, I paid for. Now it's your turn. Come sit down. Let's you and me discuss how you're going to step down, because I think we both know you are," Lucifer said.

Michael stood there for a moment before very slowly making his way over to the chair in front of his brother's desk and sitting down. Lucifer was right. He knew he had lost. Without at least Raphael, he didn't have the ability to take on Lucifer and all his support. "If I were to agree to such a thing, I would need assurances. I won't walk away to let you destroy everything Father built."

Lucifer knew he didn't have to agree to a thing. Michael could not win. But he did want to end this as peaceful as possible. If there was anyway to come to a conclusion today, he would. "I'm listening."

"You must leave Earth alone. I'll not let you destroy the humans," Michael said firmly.

"Hmm. You had no problem with it when you tried to start the apocalypse," Lucifer pointed out.

"That was Father's Will! And you are just as responsible as me!" Michael said sharply.

"I take your last point. I already agreed to that request when Castiel made it. I have no need to go after mankind. They'll likely be extinct in a century or two anyway. Next request?" Lucifer asked.

"The nephilim," Michael said simply.

"Non-negotiable. No one will lay a hand on Sam," Lucifer said firmly.

"He is an abomination! Father outlawed him!" Michael yelled.

"He also accepted him after he was created."

"Stop that lie! Father would never have come before him. He would never accept him!" Michael growled.

"What is it, Michael? Why are you so determined to make Sam a liar in that regard. Was it that he came before Sam and not you?" Lucifer asked. There was no cruelty or mocking in his voice. He actually understood why that would upset him. It bothered Lucifer himself that their father never tried to speak to them.

"I will not discuss it further! It is a lie! That thing should not exist! It is a threat!"

"How would you know? You met him once and only in a dream. Believe me when I tell you, Sam has a bigger than anyone in Heaven or Earth. When Raphael attacked, he was forced to smite three angels. That act did and still does bother him," Lucifer said.

"And what if it changes? What if the power gets to him and he decides he's more superior to those around him?" Michael asked.

"That question could be asked about all of us," Lucifer pointed out.

Michael shook his head. "We were created to follow Father's Will. That's always been ingrained in us, from the very moment we came to be. It is not the same for him. He was not created, he was born. He is part human. He is more prone to follow his own needs."

"Oh, come on, we all are. I rebelled and went against the old man's wishes because I hated humans. Raphael turned against you, against Heaven in order to gain power. Please explain how it's different," Lucifer said.

"We have no idea the kind of power he might wield. Here, he is considered merely a child and he can already smite grown angels. I also know he can teleport and I saw from your memories that he has wings! What else could he do by the time he reaches angel adulthood? He's dangerous," Michael said.

Lucifer sighed. Well, at least Michael was making valid arguments now, even if he was wrong. He wasn't just following his 'Well, father said' mantra. "I don't know what to tell you, Michael. I won't let Sam be harmed."

"And I won't allow Father's creations to be destroyed!" Michael yelled before getting up and storming towards the door.

"Brother, come back," Lucifer said.

Michael stopped and turned around. "What?! I won't step down and allow you to leave Sam Winchester loose on mankind!"

Lucifer felt the urge to once again remind his brother of his own attempt to destroy mankind, but he decided against it. It wasn't important now. "Let's try to come up with another solution then because neither one of us really wants to end this the hard way."

"What do you mean?" Michael asked.

"Your concern is that Sam will become a risk to Earth. Suppose we remove him from it then," Lucifer put out there. Gabriel was going to be pissed that he even put this on the table before talking to him about this, but it was for the best. Ending this without another showdown was in the best interests of Gabriel and his family.

"You mean move him elsewhere? Where then?" Michael wondered.

Lucifer's eyes wandered around the room, indicating Heaven.

Michael dropped his mouth open when he realized what his brother intended. "You cannot be serious! You want to bring that abomination here!"

"I will tolerate you using that word now because we are negotiating and I don't want a fight, but you will never use it in reference to Sam again. Back on the subject, why not bring him here? This is where he belongs. He is one of us, our family. And it serves to ease your unfounded fears," Lucifer said.

"He does not belong here!"

"I won't argue that point with you. It's either here or Earth. Pick," Lucifer said in a firm tone.

Michael huffed angrily, but he knew he didn't really have a choice, other than the one his brother had just given him. Even if he refused it, Lucifer could still fight him and win. He'd get his way. This way at least, he'd feel like he had some control. "Here. He can't be allowed to be a threat to Earth."

"Good," Lucifer said pleased.

"But if I agree to this, you have to agree that he stays here permanently. He's never allowed to go back to Earth again. And Gabriel is responsible for keeping him in check," Michael said.

Lucifer didn't like agreeing to that stipulation because he knew Sam would hate it, but again, it was for the best. He and Michael were seconds away from a truce. "Deal."

Michael nodded. "Bring them here and I'll step down."

"Absolutely not! You will do so today, before I bring Sam and Gabriel home," Lucifer said firmly. Michael could still betray them while he was in charge. He wouldn't dare do so afterwards. Going against him then would be no different in his eyes than going against Heaven and Michael would never do such a thing.

Michael too feared betrayal. "How do I know you'll keep your end once I've given you what you want."

"First of all, because I want our brother and nephew to come home. Second, I've always kept my word. You know at least this much about me. You step down tonight. We will publicly announce it everyone," Lucifer said.

"And then you'll bring them here?"

"No, not right away. I'm giving them a few days to get things together. Sam will need time to say goodbye to his brother," Lucifer said. He would not just yank Sam up here. That would very cruel. He would give him and Gabriel a few days to come to terms with it.

"Fine," Michael said reluctantly.

Lucifer stood up and walked over to his brother, holding his hand out for him to shake.

After a second of hesitation, Michael took the offered hand, sealing their agreement.


	79. Chapter 79

Castiel stood next to Balthazar in the assembly room of Heaven with every other angel currently in Heaven. It was a very large room, around the size of several large buildings, needing to be big enough to fit thousands of angels. They had been called there by Michael for some reason.

"So if I were to guess, I would say Michael found out about Raphael and plans to inform us," Balthazar commented.

"That sounds very plausible," Castiel said.

"You know, I'm surprised all of Heaven didn't hear how he took the news," Balthazar joked. He knew that Michael would've been pissed by the betrayal and quite loud about it, hence why Lucifer didn't want him finding out about it until Raphael had been stopped.

"How would they? Heaven is a big place. Even with our exceptional hearing, we wouldn't hear everything that goes on in another area," Castiel asked confused.

"You know, you've spent more time on Earth than anyone else, yet, you still don't understand a joke when you hear it," Balthazar said with a roll of the eyes.

Just then, Michael and Lucifer entered and approached the podium in the front of the room. Michael looked miserable, like he was walking to his execution.

"He does not look happy," Balthazar said. Of course, he didn't expect Michael to be happy after learning he'd been betrayed, but he expected to see rage, not the misery currently on the archangel's face.

"Hello, Everyone. We've asked you all to come here to explain changes that will occur from today forward. The first is that Archangel Raphael is no longer with us. This is unfortunately because due to his difference of opinion from me, he chose to use traitorous means to take control of our home, possibly planning to go so far as to declare war." Michael told everyone.

The crowd became loud with shock and fear at the prospect of going to war, and some even with the prospect of being forced to submit to Raphael.

"Everyone, calm down. Rest assured, this has been avoided. Raphael has been stopped. Note that I have said stopped, not killed," Lucifer said. He didn't want to start his leadership with fear of execution should someone make a mistake. He wanted to make it clear such a thing would not happen."

"What happened to him, sir?" one angel asked.

"His punishment was given to Gabriel. He's been stripped of almost all of his Grace and sent to a human prison. It is our believe that the punishment is fitting," Lucifer said.

Balthazar snorted and whispered to Castiel. "It certainly is. Life as a practical human for someone who hates them."

"Everyone, listen," Michael called out to gain the attention of the angels that were still muttering to each other about this development. "Raphael's betrayal is obviously shocking, to myself as well. I never suspected that something like this would ever happen. Because it has, I have decided that drastic action has to be taken. Everyone here knows that there has been tension between myself and Lucifer since his return to Heaven. He has asked me to step down and allow him to take the responsibility of taking care of Heaven and leading all of you. I have been reluctant to do so until now."

"He's not serious, is he?" Balthazar asked in disbelief. He never thought Michael would actually back down willingly. He was sure it would come down to some kind of force.

Castiel was also surprised. It could it really be over just like that? It would certainly make things better for Gabriel, Sam, and Dean. They did not need to keep living in fear of another possible situation such as the one with Raphael.

"I want everyone to understand that this was a mutual decision between Lucifer and myself. It became clear after what happened with Raphael that perhaps I needed to take a break. Clearly I have not been paying close enough attention. Rather than do a disservice to you all, it is best for me to step aside," Michael told them.

Lucifer could almost laugh at the spin Michael was putting on it, making it seem as if this was some kind of humble decision instead of a recognition of defeat. But he'd let Michael have his way on this one. He'd already gotten what he wanted.

"So this means the apocalypse is definitely off, yes?" one asked.

"Absolutely. Neither of us have any interest in fighting," Lucifer told him.

"What about the Nephilim?"

Michael stiffened slightly before answering. "An agreement has been come to regarding our brother's son. There will be no harming him. He'll return here with Gabriel permanently. It is safer for him to be here than Earth," Michael told them.

"He's to be treated as one of us. I don't want to hear the word 'abomination' even one time. Is that understood?"

Everyone agreed, though many seemed reluctant.

"Do you reckon Gabriel knows of this deal?" Balthazar asked.

"Probably not. He will not be happy," Castiel said. While Gabriel had mentioned possibly bringing Sam home to Heaven, that was was much different than being forced to do so. The way Michael made it sound, this was not a choice, it was a stipulation. Gabriel wouldn't be happen, and Sam and Dean would be even less so.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel was sitting in his recliner flipping through channels while munching on a candy bar. He was of course by himself. It was about one in the morning, so the boys were both asleep.

Suddenly, Lucifer appeared in front of his younger brother.

Gabriel looked at his brother in apprehension. Lately, he didn't see his brother unless something bad happened. "What now?"

"Is Sam asleep?" Lucifer asked. He'd waited until late at night to come in hopes that his nephew would be asleep so he wouldn't hear. Even if he wasn't in the same room with them, Sam would probably still hear if he was awake. He likely had the same enhanced senses that every other angel had.

"Well, it is the middle of the night. Yeah, he's asleep. What's going on?" Gabriel demanded to know.

Lucifer walked over to the couch and took a seat. "Uh, you can leave this reality and go back to the real house, at least for a few days. You're all safe. No one will touch you."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "You telling me you got Michael to back off?"

"Yeah."

Gabriel knew better than to be happy about this. Lucifer did not look like this was good news. "Then maybe you could explain to me why you look like the world's still ending."

"I convinced Michael that he couldn't win this without Raphael and got him to back down, but I had to give into certain demands first," Lucifer told him.

"Like what?" Gabriel asked in a low tone.

"Well, first, I had to agree not to attack the humans," Lucifer said.

"Stop stalling, Lucifer. You agreed to something you know I'm going to hate. Tell me!" Gabriel demanded.

Lucifer sighed. "Michael was worried about the possible risk Sam might pose to Earth. In order to ease that fear, I had to agree that you and Sam would come home. In exchange, he agreed to step down and not to try to harm Sam."

Gabriel was quite annoyed. Not really that he and Sam had to go to Heaven. He already planned to do that if it was possible anyway. But it annoyed him that Lucifer had agreed to such a thing without even discussing it with him. Plus, he didn't like being told he had to do it, especially with his kid. "Did you think maybe you should've talked to me before making that kind of decision?!"

"Gabriel, I didn't go into that meeting with the intention of making the agreement. I didn't even know I'd have a chance of convincing Michael to back down until after the conversation started. By the time Sam was brought up, I knew I was close to getting him to agree. I couldn't stop the conversation to confer with you. We were too close to a resolution," Lucifer explained.

Gabriel still wasn't happy, but it wasn't like it really mattered. He was already planning to do what Lucifer agreed to anyway. "I was most likely gonna return anyway. Sam can't fit in here."

"I wish that was all there was to this. There's something else. He can't come back here. He can never set foot on this planet again," Lucifer said sadly.

Gabriel's eyes darkened dangerously. "What?"

"Again, it was the only way Michael would agree," Lucifer said.

Gabriel stood up and glared at his brother. "You agreed to keep my kid as a prisoner?! Never allowing him to see his brother again?!"

"Come on, let's not call it prison. It's his home," Lucifer said as he got up as well.

"Not to him it's not! To him, all it will be is a prison! And he won't be wrong! It may look like paradise, but if he can't leave, all it is is a prison!" Gabriel yelled.

"I had no choice!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"The hell you didn't! You said it yourself, Michael stood no chance without Raphael! You could've won!" Gabriel said.

"And that would've been better? You talk about prisons? Is that not what this place is right now? Are your boys not prisoners? They can't leave. They can't even step out into the real world because of fear Michael might find them. And what about the other angels? You were not the only one I had to think about! There were thousands of angels who needed a resolution, a peaceful one! If I had fought Michael, Dad only knows how many of them would've been killed! This was best for everyone!" Lucifer yelled at his brother. He could understand why Gabriel was angry, but he didn't regret his decision. Yes, there were downsides, but it was for the best.

Gabriel shook his head. "This is not best for Sam or Dean. How the hell am I supposed to tell them they can never see each other again? It's gonna kill both of them!"

"Not necessarily. I've been thinking about it. I only agreed to keep Sam away from Earth. I said nothing about the human," Lucifer said.

"What do you mean? Bring Dean to Heaven. That would never be accepted, and he wouldn't fit in there anymore than Sam does here," Gabriel said. As much as he would love for Dean to come with them, it wouldn't be fair to him. He could never have the life he was meant to.

"Not as a human, but when he dies, I could bend the rules, allow him access to our part of Heaven," Lucifer said. It had never been done before and he didn't even like the idea of a human running around all over Heaven, but he'd do it for Sam and Gabriel.

"Are you serious?" Gabriel asked. That would make it somewhat better, though the boys would still be devastated. Gabriel didn't really love it either. It wasn't fair that their lives were being dictated because Michael was an asshole.

"Yeah. So they wouldn't be apart forever. Even if Dean lives until he's a hundred, it won't be that long of a wait compared to eternity," Lucifer said.

"It'll still be hell for them. They're not good at being apart. These two boys would sacrifice everything they had for each other. Sam already proved that with Raphael and Dean went to Hell for Sam. But I guess it's better than it was a second ago. Tell me the stipulation is just for Sam. That I can come help Dean from time to time," Gabriel said. He wouldn't break his promise to Dean. He'd promised that kid he'd be there for him when he needed him. He wouldn't break it no matter what Lucifer agreed to.\\\

"You weren't mentioned. Well, other than Michael saying you were responsible for Sam," Lucifer said.

Gabriel scowled. "I don't need Michael to tell what my responsibility to my son is. How long before we have to leave?"

"I can give you a few days," Lucifer said.

Gabriel nodded. "Fine."

"I'll see you soon, Brother," Lucifer said before leaving.

Gabriel stood there in silence for a few seconds before he heard a new voice from behind him.

"He did what he had to do, son."

Gabriel turned to see a man with curly brown hair and blue eyes. He appeared to be Chuck Shurly, but even if Gabriel hadn't known already that his father had before taken this appearance, he'd still know it was him. The power coming off him was undeniable. "Are you serious? Now? You show your damned face now?!"

"I know you're angry, son," Chuck said.

"Don't call me that. You lost the right to call me son a long time ago. And I thought you were leaving that vessel," Gabriel said.

"I did. I knew your brother wouldn't be able to help himself. He'd come looking, and he did. But I decided to take it back. I like this vessel," Chuck said.

Gabriel didn't bother asking if he meant Lucifer or Castiel. He didn't really care. "Why are you here? You haven't shown your face in thousands of years. Now you come the very moment that everything is settled? Why?"

"Because I understand the pain you're about to face. You've come to love Dean Winchester like a son and now you have to leave him behind. I know that feeling," Chuck said.

"The hell you do! I have no choice! You did!" Gabriel said angrily.

"I know you see it that way, but I don't. I didn't see a choice. My presence made things worse. You all needed to know how to exist without me. I knew it would hurt and I hated that, but you needed to learn, and you did," Chuck said with a prude look in his eyes.

"Learn? Michael's still a mindless asshole! Raphael's got a mind, but he's still an asshole! Great lesson, Dad. It worked out brilliantly," Gabriel sneered.

"You learned, Lucifer learned. Raphael did too, though I admit it didn't turn out the best. As for Michael, he still has a chance. I think that him stepping aside and allowing Lucifer to take over might be the best thing for him. He can figure out his place without worrying about following my will," Chuck said.

"Awesome for him. You screw over the rest of us for him."

"No, Gabriel. This is what is best for you all. You know this. I know you've come to the conclusion that your son is better off in Heaven," Chuck said.

"Yeah, meaning it should be his residence, not his prison. He should still be allowed to come down from time to time to see his brother and anyone else he cares for," Gabriel said.

"But he will get to see his brother again. Lucifer just promised you that."

"And you won't interfere with that?" Gabriel asked. If he wanted, his father could put a stop to what Lucifer had planned. Allowing Dean's soul to run around Heaven was not really within the rules.

"No. I'll allow this exception. He will be the only one though. I know it's not ideal in your mind, but it's still something you can deal with," Chuck said.

"You could stop it all," Gabriel said.

"I'm sorry, son, but I'm not going to interfere," Chuck said in an apologetic but firm tone.

"Then you shouldn't have come here," Gabriel said. One might think he should be grateful for what both his father and brother were willing to allow, but he was too pissed that his father was causing this pain to his family in the first place. His boys were gonna suffer because his father decided he didn't want to do his job as a father anymore.

"I came here because I know how painful it will be for you to walk away and I want to help you," Chuck told him.

"It's not the first time I've had to walk away from a son, nor is it the first time you're the reason," Gabriel said with a look of contempt. Michael might be the direct cause, but it was their father's laws that were responsible.

"Yes, but leaving a baby with a family you believe will make him happy is different than leaving a young man you took into your family alone, knowing the pain he'll feel," Chuck said.

"Either way, I have no interest in help with the matter. If you won't help me, leave. I have to figure out how to tell my sons that their lives are about to be torn apart," Gabriel said.

"If that's what you want. I love you, son. I know you find that hard to believe right now, but I do. I'm sorry," Chuck said before disappearing.


	80. Chapter 80

After breakfast the next day, Gabriel led Sam and Dean into the living room the next day and they all sat down. Gabriel was quiet for a few moments as he tried to find the words to tell them that their world was about to go to hell. He knew no matter how he did this, they would be devastated.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Sam asked. He could tell from the moment he woke up and saw his father that something had his father upset. He couldn't hide the look on his face. Something had happened.

Gabriel sighed. "Last night, Lucifer came by."

"Awesome. He doesn't show up nowadays unless something terrible happens. I guess that's fitting since he is the Devil. What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"Well, actually, he made a deal with Michael. Michael's agreed to step down and let Lucifer take over. So we don't need to hide anymore. There's no more danger," Gabriel said.

Dean stiffened a bit. He knew he should be happy that they no longer had to live in fear and that Sam was safe, and he was, but he also knew that his days with Gabriel and Sam were numbered. "So you guys will be leaving soon then."

Sam shook his head. "No. I won't go."

"Yes, you will," Gabriel said calmly.

"No! I'm not leaving my brother! You can't force me!" Sam yelled.

"Calm down! First of all, I promise you I can. Second, this is not in my power anymore than it's in yours," Gabriel said.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

Gabriel turned to him. "As you know from experience, when you make a deal, all parties have to give up something. Lucifer wanted to resolve this peacefully. He wanted Michael to walk away on his own. In order to get that, he had to agree to something else in return."

"And that was Sam going to Heaven. Why would Michael even want that?" Dean asked. Michael hated Sam. He considered him an abomination. He wanted him dead. Why would he now want him in Heaven?

"He says it's to ensure Sam doesn't pose a threat to humans, but I think it's really because the asshole's a sore loser. He's miserable because Lucifer beat him and he wants to take us down with him. He can't kill us, but he can make us as miserable as he is," Gabriel said.

"But he can't do this! He can't dictate our lives!" Sam said angrily.

"Not now that he's stepped down, but Lucifer can and will because he agreed, and he won't go back on his word. Even during and after his fall, Lucifer had a couple of honorable qualities. One was that he didn't renege after giving his word. When he rebelled, he did so honestly.

"Why is it his choice?! He has no say either!"

"It doesn't work like that, kiddo, not in Heaven. It's not a democratic. You don't get to do whatever you want," Gabriel said.

"You did. You walked away and defied Heaven's rules, so did Lucifer," Sam pointed out.

"Lucifer ended up in the cage. You may have a point with me, but that's partially because I was rumored to be dead and partly because Michael just didn't give a damn by that point. Now, I continued to defy him when he found out about you to save you, and I would've fought him if it came to it, but we both know it would've ended badly. The only reason it didn't is because of Lucifer. We're safe now thanks to him, but this is the price we have to pay for it," Gabriel said. He'd been mad at Lucifer when he first told him what he did, but with some time to think about it, he realized that Lucifer had done what he had to to save them all. Gabriel was still angry as hell, but he stopped directing it at Lucifer. Michael and his father were still fair game in that department though.

"It doesn't really matter, Sammy. It would still be happening. Gabriel already thought it was for the best and he's right. You're better off, man," Dean said.

"Unfortunately, it's more complicated than what I originally wanted. Michael made the price just a little higher. Sam can't come back here, ever?" Gabriel said.

"What?!" Sam yelled wide eyed. He didn't think this could get any worse, but it just did. Not only did he have to leave, but he could never come and see his brother. Yeah, he'd already figured if this happened he wouldn't get to see his brother often, but this wasn't just not often. This was never. He would never see his brother again. No, he would not do that. He'd already lived that reality before. It could not happen again.

"No!" Dean yelled as well as he jumped up. He'd been pretty calm until now, mostly because he knew it was coming, but this was not what he was warned about. He thought he'd still get to see Sam and Gabriel once and a while. He couldn't deal with this. He couldn't lose them forever.

"Okay, calm down for a second," Gabriel said softly.

"No! I won't do this! I don't care what Michael or Lucifer say! They can't do this!" Sam both cried and yelled at the same time.

"We'll fight them! We have to!" Dean said with desperation in his voice.

"Guys, let me talk for a second, alright? I know this seems like the end of your world, but it's not. It's the end for a while, not forever," Gabriel promised them.

"But you said he could never come here again," Dean argued.

"I know, but there was no stipulation about you, Dean. When you die, you will go to Heaven. Now, normally, you'd be confined to your own Heaven, but Lucifer has decided to let you roam. You'd be able to see us whenever you want," Gabriel told him.

"But that could be years. For all we know, Dean won't die until he's ninety," Sam said. Of course, that seemed highly unlikely given their line of work, but it also seemed like just their luck that it would happen. And, yeah, Sam realized that this was better than it was a minute ago, but he still hated it. It was way too long to be without his brother.

"It's not as long as it seems to you know, not while knowing you'll live forever," Gabriel told him.

"It's still too long! No! I don't care what you or Lucifer and Michael say. I won't do this!" Sam yelled before getting up and storming out of the room.

Gabriel thought about letting Sam go and sulk for a while, but after a few seconds, decided against it. Sam would have every day for years to do that. Right now, they didn't have the time.

Gabriel got up and followed his son, making it to his room just before Sam could slam the door shut. He pushed his way way inside and shut the door.

"No, get out! Leave me alone!" Sam yelled.

Gabriel didn't leave though. Instead, he took his son firmly by the arm and pulled him extremely close. "You listen to me because this may be the most important thing I ever say to you. You have two to three days left with your brother."

"No, I won't..."

"Quiet!" Gabriel commanded. "You are going! You have no say in the matter! Get that now. The only thing fighting it will do is waste what little time you have left, and more importantly, what little time he has left. I get that you're upset, but you are not the only one affected by this! We all are, but Dean most of all! He will be alone!" Well, alright, Dean wouldn't be completely alone. He'd have Bobby and Bobby would look after him as best he could. But he wouldn't have Gabriel or Sam. Gabriel would come when he could, but for the most part, the family he'd recently found would be gone until his death. "You're going to stop being selfish here. Dean has spent his whole life making things okay for you. Now we need to do that for him. We need to make this okay for him."

"But it's not okay!" Sam cried.

"Then we're just going to do our best to pretend that it is. Look, if you want to be angry and lash out in a few days, fine, but not now. There's no time. We're going to spend these last few days as a family and then we're going to say goodbye," Gabriel said with sadness in his voice. This was breaking him too. Not only did he have to leave a son behind, again, he had to watch his boys suffer, all because his brother was a dick. But he would be strong for Sam and Dean. They needed him.

"I can't," Sam said in a broken voice.

Gabriel sighed. "You have to, son. Now come on. Your bother needs us."

Sam pulled away from his father after a minute and walked back out to the living room. He found Dean Standing by the front door trying to hide his tear streaked face. He immediately rushed towards his older brother and launched himself into his arm.

Dean hugged his brother back immediately and it wasn't long until both men were crying at the loss they'd soon feel.


	81. Chapter 81

Three days passed much quicker than Gabriel, Sam, and Dean would've liked. They had maybe a few more hours left, enough time to do one more thing. He wanted to say goodbye to Bobby. That was why Gabriel teleported all three of them just outside the house. He'd called Bobby the day before and told him he was safe to go home. He also told him they'd be visiting soon.

The first thing Dean noticed was his car parked in front of the house. He wasn't surprised. Gabriel told him a while ago that he'd sent the house to Bobby's. "Ah, my baby."

"I told you your car was fine," Gabriel said.

Dean rubbed his hand over the hood for a second before following Gabriel and Sam to the front door. They didn't bother knocking. They never had. Sam just opened the door and they went inside.

"Bobby!" Sam called.

Bobby came in from the living room. The first thing he noticed was the two huge sets of wings folded into Sam's back. "Damn, boy, when did that happen."

"Oh, a while ago. I totally freaked out when they showed up, but I'm starting to get used to them.

"How have you been, Bobby?" Dean asked.

"Good. Been hunting mostly. It's been good to get back out there actually. Now how about you all tell me what's up because you're not okay," Bobby said. He knew his boys well, and the look on both their faces told him something bad was going down, something worse than what they'd been dealing with the last time they spoke.

"We should sit down," Gabriel said.

Bobby led them all into the living room and they all took a seat. Bobby sat in a chair while Gabriel and the boys sat on the couch. Then the three of them explained to Bobby about the deal Lucifer made with Michael.

To say Bobby was unhappy about this outcome would be an understatement. He was happy his boys and the world were once again safe, but he was losing one of his boys forever in exchange. Worse than that though, he knew this would devastate both Sam and Dean. Neither one of them dealt well without each other.

Bobby looked at Gabriel after a second. "There's nothing you can do to stop this?"

"I would've already done so if I could. Things are more complicated in Heaven than they are here," Gabriel said.

"How long before you have to go?" Bobby asked.

"This is it. We're going to leave from here," Gabriel said. He'd decided it was best to make this the last stop. That way, Dean would have Bobby to help him, at least for the first day. He'd even gone so far as to make sure all Dean's things were here waiting for him.

Bobby shuddered. This was the last time he'd ever see Sam again. He'd have to find some way of letting him go forever, and then he had to find a way of keeping Dean going once he was gone. "I need some time alone with Sam."

"That's fine. Come on, Dean. Let's go for a walk," Gabriel said before standing up. Honestly, he wanted a few minutes alone with Dean as well.

Dean got up and followed Gabriel out of the room.

"How you doing?" Bobby asked Sam when the others were gone.

"I...I don't think I've felt this terrible since Dean went to Hell. It's gonna kill me to leave him," Sam said sadly.

Bobby got up and joined Sam on the couch. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know this feels awful, but you'll be okay."

Sam shook his head. "No, I won't. I can't live without Dean."

"I know how much you love your brother and how much it'll hurt both of you to be apart. But you'll get him back eventually," Bobby said, trying to make the kid feel a little better.

"It's too long! This isn't fair, Bobby. I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't give Michael any reason to believe I was a danger to humans," Sam cried. Okay, yes, he started the apocalypse and he'd felt bad about that, but it turned out okay, and like his father told him over and over again, that was on Michael too.

"This thing with Michael isn't about you. The dick's a sore loser. He just wanted someone else to suffer since he lost," Bobby said. Damn he hated that SOB for this. He hated him more than any creature he'd ever fought because he was causing Bobby's boys terrible pain.

"That's what my dad thinks too. And we can't stop him. Lucifer can, but apparently he won't go back on an agreement," Sam said bitterly. Somewhere he knew that this wasn't Lucifer's fault. He did what he thought was best for everyone. But in the end, Sam and his family had to suffer because of his decision, so he couldn't help but blame him some.

"Look, Sam, I've never said this to you outright, but I think I've made it clear. I think of you as my son. I've known you since you were a toddler. I've loved both you and your brother since then," Bobby said.

"I know. I feel the same way. I often thought of you as more of a father than John. And I may have a good father now, but I haven't and won't ever stop thinking of you that way. I'm gonna miss you," Sam said.

"Me too, boy," Bobby said before pulling the younger man into his arms.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Gabriel and Dean walked leisurely down Bobby's street. "So I think it's best you stay here with Bobby for a couple of days," Gabriel said.

"Yeah, I figured that's what you had in mind when you decided to leave from his place," Dean said.

"I just don't think you should be alone right away," Gabriel said.

Dean nodded.

"Whenever you chose to go back, the house in Florida is yours," Gabriel told him. He'd fixed the damaged Raphael had done and created paperwork that had the place in Dean's name. "It's in Dean Winchester's name. I fixed a few things so that you're no longer dead and or considered a murderer, just in case you want your name back."

"Wow. You never left. How'd you do all that?" Dean wondered.

"Not all that difficult for an archangel. You know, I'd rather you didn't hunt, but I know you will. You can use the house as a sort of home base though, for when you're between jobs or something," Gabriel said.

"Thanks. I have a favor to ask. I know you said that you'd come down when you could. I don't want you to do that. It would hurt too much. I'd be glad to see you, but then I'd want to see Sam and I couldn't," Dean said.

Gabriel nodded after a second. "I understand. I want you to call me if you need me though."

Dean shook his head. "No, I'm not gonna do that either. If something happens, I don't want you to interfere."

Gabriel stopped and stepped in front of him. "Dean..."

"Plenty of people live without angels, Gabriel. I want to live or die on my own," Dean said. He didn't want any help staying in this world. He wouldn't kill himself, but if something happened and he didn't make it, he was okay with it. It meant he could be with Sam and Gabriel again that much sooner.

"Live or die on your own. The only way I'll agree to that is if you promise me here and now that you won't do anything stupid. If you're reckless with your life, not only will I bring you back, but I will kick your ass afterwards, am I understood?" Gabriel asked firmly.

"Yeah," Dean said.

"Also, if you get up there in the next thirty years, there's a good chance I'm gonna kick your ass anyway," Gabriel said.

Dean chuckled. "Got it."

"I've already told you you're my son, but I'll repeat it. You're mine. I love you, kid." Gabriel said.

"I... I love you too," Dean said, feeling a bit awkward. Not because he didn't mean it, but because he wasn't used to talking to anyone but Sam this way.

"Come on, let's head back," Gabriel said before putting an arm around his son and heading back towards the house.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Sam and Bobby were standing in the kitchen when Gabriel and Dean came back. All four of them appeared somber, as if someone had died. None looked forward to what was about to happen.

"You ready?" Gabriel asked Sam.

"No, but I never will be," Sam said before approaching Dean. "Listen, I want you to have a good life. Be happy and don't think about me. Don't do anything stupid and get yourself brought to Heaven earlier than necessary." As much as he couldn't wait for the day his brother would be with him again, he didn't want Dean to give up his life for him. That wouldn't be fair, especially since his dad had been right about what he'd told him a few days ago. Dean had already given up so much for him.

"I already got promised a resurrection and an ass kicking if I do that. You do something for me too. Make Michael's life hell for this," Dean said. That bastard was destroying them all and he wanted him to pay for it.

"Oh, I'll promise you that one," Gabriel piped up. "I promise, he will pay for this."

"I love you, Dean. You're my brother, no matter what any blood test would say," Sam said as tears started to fall down his face.

Dean began to cry as well and pulled his brother into his arms. "I love you too, Sammy. You'll be okay."

Gabriel waited until the two brothers were done and then pulled Dean into his arms. "You take care of yourself, alright. Remember, there will be hell to pay if you don't."

Dean nodded and hugged him back for a second.

After letting go, Gabriel took ahold of his youngest's shoulder and looked at Bobby. "Take care of him, Bobby. He'll need you."

"And you take care of him," Bobby said, motioning towards Sam.

"Bye, Bobby," Sam said.

"Bye, kid," Bobby said before going over and hugging him one last time.

Sam and Gabriel gave both Bobby and Dean one last look before disappearing from the planet for good.

THE END

 **A/N: I know this ended on a really sad note, but I have a sequel planned for the future, though it might be a little while before I start it.**


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